Usman was born in the Nigerian town of Auchi. His father was a Nigerian Army major, and his mother was a teacher. He has two brothers, Kashetu and Mohammed, the latter of whom is also a mixed martial artist and a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Usman had a modest upbringing as a child. Usman’s father, Muhammed Nasiru Usman, immigrated to the United States as a pharmacist when Usman was eight years old, settling in Dallas, Texas. Usman began wrestling in his sophomore year at Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas. Usman got the nickname “Marty” when he joined the team because his wrestling coach at the time had difficulty pronouncing his first name, Kamarudeen, and it stuck with him throughout his amateur wrestling career. Usman wrestled alongside Jon Jones at the senior national tournament before leaving for college after compiling a 53-3 record as a senior and finishing third at the Texas state championships.
Usman wrestled for William Penn University in Iowa for one year, where he was an NAIA national tournament qualifier in 2007, but was unable to attend due to a snowstorm; half of his team and head coach, however, left early for the tournament without him, which frustrated Usman and influenced him to leave William Penn. Later, he transferred to the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), which had attempted to recruit him under the guidance of then-UNK wrestler Tervel Dlagnev, and aided the Lopers in 2008 in winning their first-ever team championship. Usman finished in the top three nationally in each of his three years at UNK and twice reached the finals. He won 30 straight matches and a 44-1 record to win the NCAA Division II national championship at 174 pounds in 2010.
Kamaru Usman’s wife: Is Kamaru Usman married?
Kamaru Usman is reportedly married to Eleslie Dietzsch, though little is known about the UFC fighter’s wife.
