Kamaru Usman responds to critics who believe his knees will cause him problems at UFC Atlanta

UFC legend Kamaru Usman has responded to those who have suggested his knees will cause him problems at UFC Atlanta.

For the longest time, Kamaru Usman was the man to beat at 170 pounds. Unfortunately for him, a Leon Edwards head kick changed all of that. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has now lost three on the bounce and after a period of inactivity, many are wondering what the 38-year-old has left in the tank in the world of mixed martial arts.

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This weekend, Usman will return to the Octagon when he goes head to head with rising contender Joaquin Buckley. It is easily the biggest fight of Buckley’s career but for Kamaru, he’ll likely see it as just another day at the office.

Something that fans and media members have long since questioned is the state of Usman’s knees, which has been a problem area for him in the past. During the UFC Atlanta media day, the man himself wasn’t afraid to talk about that particular subject.

Usman addresses those worried about his knees

“I’m good. Really, really, I’m good,” Usman said. “It’s funny because that’s a running knock — knees, knees, knees! They don’t realize [my] knees were [actually] worse in my first fight in the UFC. My first fight, I was coming in right off the back of a microfracture surgery. Doctors say that’s about an eight-month recovery, and I fought four months after the surgery. I don’t think people realize that it was worse before.

“I know it’s a running joke, everyone likes to joke about it but I’ve been beating people’s asses with [these] knees. So it is what it is. They can say whatever they want. Saturday, we’re going to get in there, he’s going to punch me, I’m going to punch him, and we’re going to see who wins.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting