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From the deep heartlands of Africa arose a band of brothers, united by the quest for survival and the undying love for controlled violence. 

Nicknamed “The Three Kings of the UFC,” these men not only dominated their opponents but also inspired an entire generation on the continent. 

Although their collective reign was short, they left a lasting impact on the UFC and the sport as a whole.

This is the story of their extraordinary accomplishments in the fiercely competitive world of professional MMA.

Who are the Three Kings of the UFC?

The trio of Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou are the Three African Kings of the UFC. 

The name originated as an homage to their era of dominance, during which all three fighters held the undisputed belt in their respective divisions simultaneously.

But why is the era of the 3 African kings such a big deal in the UFC? How come no one ever talks about the era of the Brazilians this way?

Well, to understand the significance of this achievement, we need to briefly retrace the steps of African UFC fighters.

Before these guys became champions, mixed martial arts never gained the same level of popularity as boxing on the African continent. 

We had Dambe, which is similar to combat Sambo, but it never gained global acclaim as an elite martial art.

Before the 3 African kings, the closest representations of Africa in the UFC were Cheick Kongo, who is French, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, who is Cameroonian.

Then came Jimi Manuwa. 

Despite being a British fighter, Manuwa was the first person on the UFC roster to fly the Nigerian flag. 

He was an elite fighter but never came close to capturing the belt during his time at the UFC. So, his popularity in the UFC never translated into mainstream appeal.

However, the tides shifted when Kamaru Usman signed for the UFC in 2015.

The First African King: Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman, also known as “The Nigerian Nightmare”, was born in Auchi, Nigeria, on August 11, 1987. He and his family moved to the United States when he was eight. 

Usman grew up in Arlington, Texas, and attended Bowie High School, where he became a three-time Texas state wrestling champion. 

He wrestled at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he became a two-time NCAA Division II national champion. This is where he got the nickname “Marty from Nebraska.”

Despite his success in D2 wrestling, Usman began his Pro MMA career in 2012 and gained attention for his dominant wrestling and grappling skills. In 2015, he joined the UFC.

On March 2, 2019, Kamaru Usman defeated Tyron Woodley to become the first of the African kings in the UFC.

Usman has an impressive 20-4-0 record in the UFC. During his run, he defeated top-ranked welterweights such as Leon Edwards, Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington. 

One of Usman’s defining moments came after retaining the welterweight title at UFC 261, as he adorned his father with his belt just after his release from prison, christening a perfect recovery story for his family.

Usman’s career and personal values have made him a role model for many inside and outside the UFC community. He has a daughter and is actively involved in various charity organizations.

The Second African King: Israel Adesanya (Izzy)

Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya was born on July 22, 1989, in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up playing various sports, including soccer, kickboxing, and boxing, before moving with his family to New Zealand. 

Adesanya became a professional kickboxer, winning multiple accolades on several continents. His love for anime and manga made him a fan favorite in the Chinese MMA scene. 

Despite becoming a Glory kickboxing champion, one of his darkest moments came at the hands of the stone-handed Alex Pereira—their paths will cross several times.

Taunted early in his career for his slim physique, he consistently proved his critics wrong with his sleek kickboxing and perfect timing. 

In 2015, Adesanya made his professional MMA debut and quickly rose to prominence, winning fights in various promotions worldwide. 

In 2018, he made his UFC debut. 

Izzy became a household name because of his flashy style and memorable octagon entrances. His dancing was not for everyone, but it drew attention from haters and supporters.

The moment Izzy’s star shone brightest in the early days was during his fight with Anderson Silva. This was the perfect passing of the torch from one flashy legend to the up-and-comer.

This victory set Adesanya up for the title. But first, he had to become the interim champion. 

After a 5-round war with Kelvin Gastelum, Izzy became the interim champion. This fight is now in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Adesanya later defeated Robert Whittaker in 2019 to become the undisputed middleweight champion. He has since defended his title multiple times and fought (unsuccessfully) in other weight classes.

Apart from his success in MMA, Adesanya is also a dancer. He has also incorporated his love for anime and gaming into his fighting style and entrance performances.

This has helped him stand out in the sport as a charismatic entertainer, gaining him millions of fans on social media. 

The Last King: Francis Ngannou

Francis “The Predator” Ngannou was born in Batie, Cameroon, on September 5, 1986. He is the oldest of the trio. 

Ngannou had little education and worked various odd jobs to make ends meet, shoveling sand for multiple hours daily at a sand quarry. 

He left Cameroon searching for greener pastures, embarking on an arduous journey that took him through Niger, Algeria, Morocco, and eventually to Europe on an inflatable boat.

Two months of detention in Spain for being an illegal immigrant would prove to be a blessing in disguise. 

Francis had initially planned to pursue heavyweight boxing, but he would meet Didier Carmont, who introduced him to Fernand Lopez, an MMA coach in France who convinced him to transition to MMA.

The UFC presented Francis Ngannou on the ultimate stage to become one of the heavyweight division’s most explosive fighters. And he started knocking off heads and taking names.

Early victims of The Predator’s rampage include Alistair Overeem and Cain Velasquez. After running through these world-class veterans, Ngannou was ready to become the first African King.

But Stipe Miocic killed all that hype with impeccable condition. So, while Ngannou made his way back up the ladder, the other two African Kings already captured the throne.

Despite a shock defeat to Stipe in their first fight, followed by a snooze fest against Derrick Lewis, Ngannou bounced back to knock Stipe Miocic out cold. 

And with that, he became the last African King and the first African UFC heavyweight to capture gold.

Despite his success in the Octagon, Ngannou remains humble and dedicated to giving back to his community. 

He has spoken openly about his difficult upbringing and raised awareness about the challenges faced by people living in poverty and conflict zones worldwide.

As the oldest of the trio, he is considered the “big bro” and the glue that holds the Three Kings together.

The End of the Three Kings Era

The three kings, who held the division titles of their respective weight classes, had a fantastic run in the UFC and made history in the promotion. 

But when each one of them fell, it was a seismic event.

Kamaru Usman held the welterweight title for over 1000 days. Against all odds, Leon Edwards KO’d the indomitable Nigerian Nightmare. It took a well-placed head kick from Edwards to end his reign at UFC 278.

Three months later, on November 13, 2022, Alex Pereira dethroned the second African King, Israel Adesanya, at Madison Square Garden. 

And then, there was one king left.

Following a protracted contract dispute with the UFC, Francis Ngannou left the company and became an unrestricted free agent. 

On January 14, 2023, the UFC stripped Ngannou of his heavyweight championship. He is the second reigning champion to leave the UFC since BJ Penn in 2004.

The last of the three kings was gone.

This development caused a lot of buzz in the UFC and MMA community, with many fans and analysts speculating where Ngannou will go next and how this will impact the heavyweight division. 

He has since competed in Saudi boxing events and the PFL MMA organization. Safe to say he landed on his feet. 

But at the back of our minds, we all knew the era of the Three Kings of Africa was over. And nothing was ever going to top that.

The Dawn of a New Era

After Kamaru failed to regain his belt, fans and pundits didn’t give Izzy any chance. It was over for Africans in the new era. 

But Israel Adesanya was able to reclaim his championship belt after a hard-fought victory over his opponent Alex Pereira at UFC 287. 

Since then, Izzy has lost three fights back-to-back against fellow African Dricuss Du Plessis, Sean Strickland, and Nassirdine Imavov.

With age playing a factor, we have to look forward to other fighters that may follow in the paths of the kings.

South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis recently captured the middleweight championship from Israel Adesanya, becoming the first African UFC fighter to become a champion while living and training in Africa.

Dricus has been able to defend his title multiple times, cementing his legacy as a true champion of the division.

Dricus Du Plessis is the “4th African King” or one of the “4 Horsemen”, according to Kamaru Usman.

Next on our radar is Kennedy Nzechukwu, a Nigerian mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. But with Alex Pereira still reigning there, his path to the belt will take longer than expected.

Other Africans on the UFC roster include:

• “Super” Sodiq Yusuff (Nigeria)
• Manel “Starboy” Kape (Angola)
• Tafon “Da Don” Nchukwi (Cameroon)
• Abdul “Judo Thunder” Razak Alhassan (Ghana)
• Mounir “The Sniper” Lazzez (Tunisia)
• David “Silent Assassin” Onama (Uganda)
• Dalcha “Champion” Lungiambula (DR Congo)
• JP Buys “Young Savage” JP Buys (South Africa)

The Legacy of the Three Kings

The Three Kings have made history in the UFC, and their impressive runs as champions have solidified their places in the MMA’s history books. 

Impressed by their feat, Dana White is considering bringing the UFC to Africa to honour their legacy. Although this vision is now far from reality, I refuse to give up hopes of seeing a UFC Africa event on the streets of Casablanca, Cairo, or Capetown.

➖ UFC Heavyweight Champion – Francis Ngannou. From Batié, Cameroon 🇨🇲.

➖ UFC Middleweight Champion – Israel Adesanya. From Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬.

➖ UFC Welterweight Champion – Kamaru Usman. From Auchi, Nigeria 🇳🇬.

Africa has more male UFC Champions than any other continent! 🗣 pic.twitter.com/SbaeXNle3s

— AfroBallers (@afroballers) March 28, 2021

The success of The Three Kings brought attention to fighters from the continent and shattered the stereotype that African fighters are rash brawlers with no technique. 

Francis Ngannou has gone on to have a close fight with Tyson Fury, get knocked out by Anthony Joshua, and become next in line for a fight with Deontay Wilder.

MMA gyms have started popping up in towns and villages across Africa, just like in the Dagestani mountains and Brazilian favelas. 

Kamaru Usman is now a co-owner of a regional MMA promotion known as the AKO Show, which has hosted 7 events across cities in Nigeria.

It will be exciting to see what the future holds for MMA in Africa and the impact that these fighters will continue to have on the sport.