Usman talks Titan commentary gig: ‘It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do’

Kamaru Usman recently delved into the commentary/analysis side of mixed martial arts, following in the footsteps of many other fighters. His first commentary position came this past April when he worked Titan FC 38 in Miami alongside MMAjunkie.com’s John Morgan.

It didn’t come out of the blue for Usman. The 28-year-old already competes inside the cage, but has always wanted a job involving fighting outside the cage. For him, that was commentary. And he believes being able to commentate successfully is a rare trait, but one he has.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Usman told BloodyElbow.com’s The MMA Circus. “I believe that I’m not just a fighter in this game; I love to study the sport. And in studying the sport, I believe I have a good eye for the sport and I’m able to talk about the sport. Not a lot of guys are able to do that. We can fight, but when it comes to talking about the sport for viewers and people to listen to, not a lot guys are able to articulate that very well. It was something that I’ve always wanted to do, and it just so happened my management was able to get that started while Titan was moving down here in Florida. And we got that going.”

Is there anything that makes a professional fighter nervous? fans often ask. Understandably so, considering professional fighters square off against other human beings with high-level combat skills in a locked cage with bad, bad intentions. But, in fact, there is. Fighters do actually get nervous.

For Usman, being the voice of a broadcast available to UFC Fight Pass subscribers around the world — being listened to by thousands and thousands of people — was a very daunting experience.

“[I am] definitely nervous [during my commentary work],” he admitted. “That’s the thing about a fighter — you have to have that good poker face and keep it on. It’s a different dynamic working those shows. As a fighter, yeah, we can fight, we do it, and it’s tough. But when you have to talk and be a description for people, a lot of people can’t do that. It’s so nerve-wracking …

continue reading in source www.bloodyelbow.com