With sporting events resuming across the world this past month in the wake of the pandemic, much focus has been present on the likes of combat sports like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which recently hosted UFC 251 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi last week.
With health and safety being of paramount importance, both UFC and Abu Dhabi worked closely with government entities in the UAE to ensure that the much-anticipated showdown took place without any incident of note, and all the fighters finished their bouts successfully.
Rose Namajunas in action
Two of the winners from the event — Nigerian-American Kamaru Usman (also the winner of reality show The Ultimate Fighter season 21), who successfully defended his Welterweight Champion belt against Jorge Masvidal, and current #1 in the Women’s Strawweight rankings, Rose Namajunas (former Strawweight Champion) who defeated Jessica Andrade and also won ‘Fight of the Night’ — talk to us about being sports athletes in the new normal, maintaining fitness levels during the pandemic and more.
Kamaru Usman:
How different is the UFC atmosphere without fans?
It’s a different fight; one you fight as a fighter with yourself, and when you are fighting somebody. Sometimes you can kind of get lost in it when you are in a stadium with 20,000 people. It could uplift you or it can be a detriment.
I miss [the atmosphere], and the roar of the fans when you deliver the finishing blow. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t sway my performance in any way. When I train, you don’t train with the crowd. There is no outside distractions to where I’m locked in.
Kamaru Usman of Nigeria
As athletes, you are expected to travel constantly. At a time like this, are you convinced of the safety measures?
Dana White (UFC president) and the company have done an amazing job of putting something like this together. It’s incredible just to see the precautions that they took. It is tough to be put in a training camp. I took time away from my daughter and I have never done that before, but I’m also just grateful to be a part of this.
So far, I have been tested four times. I’m glad that I’ll be returning home to my daughter COVID-free.
How do you feel as a black athlete about the Black Lives Matter movement?
As a black man, just having seen all of the things that have taken place for years, I’m glad that it has been brought to the forefront now. I think the world is really tired and they just really want change. Obviously, each and every statement that we continue to make, all the eyes that we bring to the situation and the attention helps in a way to move us forward slowly.
Rose Namajunas:
How did you prepare for your bout at UFC 251 during this difficult period?
It’s the mentality which comes from preparation and I think that’s the biggest difference. I always want to put an exclamation point on all of my performances. I’m a hundred percent disciplined and focussed, just making sure that I make the right choices in those moments.
I’m a natural-born finisher. I just need to be myself, stay disciplined for 15 minutes and the finish will present itself within that.
Did you do anything apart from training to keep fit? Any advice for maintaing fitness while at home?
When the quarantine happened, I focussed on my garden and also training, and those two things really give me a balance in my life. On the one hand, I focus on destroying my opponent, and on the other, I’m growing something that I can eat and provide for me and my family.
Rose Namajunas of the United States
As far as staying in shape goes, I’m always just doing what you can with what you got. Shadow boxing is some of the best workouts that you can get. Vitamin D is super important: getting out into the sun, getting some fresh air… with masks.
What is it like being a female athlete in the world of MMA and UFC? What are the pros and cons?
I think the pros are that we are for the most part respected as opposed to like other sports, and MMA is definitely something that anybody can get into. It is pretty cool that we can be right alongside men in a male-dominated sport. I can’t really think of any cons right now. I’m sure there is a ton, but I try not to focus on that too much.
Watch UFC Fight Night 174 LIVE and Exclusive only on SONY TEN 2 & SONY TEN 3 channels on July 26 from 5:30 am
