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Racism and MMA

UFC fighters Kamaru Usman and Sijara Eubanks discuss the career challenges they've faced.

Nigeria’s UFC world welterweight champion Kamaru Usman says it’s become β€˜normalised’ to face racism in the United States.

Last month, Usman was subjected to racist comments from UFC fighter Colby Covington – who said the backlash he received from fellow fighters was β€œunwarranted”.

UFC President Dana White said he doesn’t want to "muzzle fighters, we let everybody speak their mind. I don't know what he said that was racist.”

Usman, who was born in Nigeria but moved to the United States at the age of 8, has become one of the biggest names in the sport and is nicknamed the Nigerian nightmare.

Usman and female UFC bantamweight fighter Sijara Eubanks have been talking to Sportsworld's Maz Farookhi about the challenges they’ve faced in their careers, being role models and how they felt when they heard those racist comments.

Photo: Kamaru Usman (Getty Images)

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28 minutes

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