In the high-stakes world of mixed martial arts, winning is paramount, but captivating the audience and the promoters with spectacular finishes is often the key to unlocking greater rewards. This delicate balance between pure dominance and entertainment value recently came to the forefront through the recollections of prominent MMA manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
Abdelaziz, known for guiding the careers of numerous champions including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, faced this very challenge with another of his star pupils, Kamaru Usman. Early in his UFC tenure, Usman, who would go on to become a dominant welterweight champion, was racking up wins with clinical precision. He was defeating opponents convincingly, often through relentless wrestling and control, but these performances, while effective, didn`t always translate into the highlight-reel moments that catch the eye of bonus-givers.
The perception began to shift on September 16, 2017. Facing Sergio Moraes, Usman opted to stand and trade. What followed was a sudden, explosive right hand that sent Moraes crashing to the canvas, securing a definitive first-round knockout. For many, this was the moment `The Nigerian Nightmare` proved he wasn`t just a grinder but possessed fight-ending power.
However, the night featured several other dramatic finishes. When the performance bonuses were announced, Usman`s knockout was overlooked, with other fighters receiving the coveted extra $50,000 checks. According to Abdelaziz, this snub ignited considerable frustration. He describes “raising hell” behind the scenes, fiercely advocating for Usman`s performance to be recognized financially.
While the bonus never materialized from that specific fight, the knockout itself served its purpose. It was a pivotal moment that added a crucial dimension to Usman`s profile. It demonstrated his evolution as a fighter and helped challenge the narrative that he was solely a wrestling specialist. Even Usman himself has admitted, with perhaps a touch of retrospective irony, that he used to fast-forward through recordings of his own early fights that lacked stand-up exchanges, highlighting the subjective nature of what constitutes an “exciting” fight.
Ultimately, Abdelaziz`s fight for recognition underscores a fundamental truth in the sport: sometimes, a manager has to work just as hard outside the cage to ensure their fighter receives the acknowledgement and rewards they deserve, especially when performance goes beyond mere victory to deliver moments the fans won`t forget.
Percy Harlow