Firas Zahabi thinks new UFC champ Kamaru Usman has the potential to be an all-time great.
Firas Zahabi has incredibly high praise for newly crowned UFC champion Kamaru Usman. The renowned coach, who probably knows a thing or two about welterweights and all-time greats, believes Usman has the potential to be one of the best fighters in history.
“I was incredibly impressed by Usman. I think he’s the champ. I think he’s the best welterweight in the division now, and I believe that he’s gonna be champion for many years to come,” Zahabi said on a recent AMA session.
Zahabi believes Usman has the tools to become one of the best fighters of all time, and thinks the Nigerian champion should invest in taking care of his body and health to achieve that.
“If he stays healthy, he’s gonna be champion for many years to come, in my opinion. If I was him, I would put all my eggs on staying healthy. Because I do feel he’s just one level ahead of everyone, and the only thing that can derail him from being one of the greatest of all time is a bad injury.
“These fighters go through a lot of grueling training and it definitely harms the body,” he said. “It’s a tough business physically and I feel like a lot of champions sometimes ruin their careers with injuries.
“Usman, from what I saw, is one of those guys who can be head and shoulders above the rest. He can be in the discussions for best pound-for-pound. I don’t think there’s many guys who can stop him, but again, it remains to be seen. Maybe he has a weakness that we haven’t discovered yet.”
Usman, 31, is currently 10-0 in the UFC and 15-1 overall in his career.