In an awkward moment that has boxing fans buzzing, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman found himself in an uncomfortable position while attempting to discuss Terence Crawford’s boxing career during a recent interview.
The exchange began when Usman tried to reference what he believed was an early moment in Crawford’s career when the boxer had to overcome adversity.
“I’m one of those that doubted at first because you don’t know unless you know,” Usman said. “I’ve seen you get the belt off the Jamaican dude, I believe. When you won the title a while back, I think you were knocked down.”
Crawford, visibly confused by Usman’s recollection, quickly corrected him. “No, no, no. Which fight was that? Come on, you watch… which fight? The only Jamaican I know is Walter’s dude. You ain’t never been down.”
As the conversation continued, it became clear that Usman was mixing up fighters and bouts. When Crawford asked who Usman thought he’d won his first title from, Usman struggled to identify the opponent.
Crawford clarified that his first welterweight title came against Jeff Horn, whom he defeated at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas—not in Australia as Usman suggested. In fact, Crawford noted he had never fought in Australia at all.
Despite multiple opportunities to acknowledge his mistake, Usman pressed on, insisting he had seen Crawford “battle back” in a fight. “I seen a fight where I’m like… you had to battle back,” Usman continued.
Even when Crawford mentioned a potential fight Usman might be thinking of—against Sean Porter—Usman rejected that suggestion as well, doubling down on his confused recollection.
The exchange highlighted the pitfalls that can occur when athletes venture outside their domain of expertise. The “Jamaican dude” Usman was likely referring to was actually Yuriorkis Gamboa, who is Cuban, not Jamaican. Gamboa did give Crawford some trouble early in their 2014 bout before Crawford took control and eventually stopped him.
Crawford, who recently made history by becoming undisputed welterweight champion after defeating Errol Spence Jr., maintained his composure throughout the awkward exchange. His record remains unblemished at 40-0 with 31 knockouts, cementing his status as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best.
For Usman, a dominant UFC champion in his own right with five successful title defenses before losing his belt to Leon Edwards, the interview serves as a reminder that even the most accomplished athletes can find themselves out of their depth when discussing another sport’s history.
