The next fight after that and the fight after that and the fight after that and the fight after that, which is what's gotten me to this point. I prepare just as rigorous for this fight as I did the first Leon Edwards fights. What is my biggest accomplishment is the fact that I've been the same since the start, as far as how I work for these, how I prepare for these fights. KAMARU USMAN: So for me personally, I'm going to be honest with you. Is that the one that means the most to you, or is there another record out there that you look at and say, this is where I want to leave my legacy. You win this fight on Saturday, you've got 16 consecutive wins. What, to you, is your greatest accomplishment? You're on the verge of tying Anderson Silver for the longest winning streak in the UFC. KEVIN IOLE: He has won nine in a row since that fight, you have won 13 in a row as part of a 19 fight winning streak. And that is a fight with two of the best mixed martial artists on the planet. So I think this is going to be- it's going to be what it's supposed to be. But so is my grappling, and so is my strike as well. And he had been in the sport for over five years. That was my- I was being- I'd been doing the sport for less than three years at that time. So even then, I had a little bit of striking. I landed the biggest shots of the fight, just striking. And to be honest with you, Kevin, even in that first fight, I outstruck Leon Edwards. Just goes to attest to the growth of myself as a mixed martial artist. KAMARU USMAN: I mean, it's changed a lot. So how do you think that changes it, the fact that you have evolved so much and added so much to your game since that first fight? You've evolved now, and I think you're on the most strikes landed list in the all time UFC record. It was a lot of wrestling, a lot of grappling. When you fought in 2015, you won a unanimous decision but there wasn't much striking from you. I'm sorry about that, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. I want to talk to you about your fight against Leon Edwards. But there's so much to talk to you about. KEVIN IOLE: What I wanted to talk to you about, obviously, is your fight Saturday against Luke Rockhold. So to be able to handle all of that and juggle it all and come out on top and still win based on all the emotions, the things that are going on in life and with the guys in the house and still be victorious in the finale is- that's a good tale of guys to come, and what's to come from it. I think he kind of juggled with- well my perspective, it was almost juggling in the sport of, how- where do I find my lane, and how can I get this done? Or can I get this done? And the one thing about that tournament is, it's not just competition, athletic competition, but it's almost- it's a social experiment as well. I mean, I think it's something that he kind of needed. What was that like for you to see Muhammad do what he did? One of the hardest tournaments to win, any kind of tournament like that. KEVIN IOLE: What was that like for you, though? You went through that yourself, winning the Ultimate Fighter. You're Usman's brother, Muhammad's brother. People are starting to- I'm walking down the street now and people are starting to recognize me a little bit and they're like, hey. KEVIN IOLE: People still remembering you after your brother, kind of with that big knockout and created all those headlines? And of course, my guest happens to be Mr. His brother is the tough 30 season heavyweight champion. And my guest now, you may know his brother. Usman talks about his brother Mohammed Usman winning "The Ultimate Fighter," how he's evolved since his first fight with Edwards back in 2015 and if he's seriously considering a move up to light heavyweight for a shot at the belt. Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole interviews Kamaru Usman ahead of the UFC welterweight champion's rematch versus Leon Edwards on Saturday at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.
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