By Sulaimon Jamiu
UFC defending welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, will make his film debut in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, which already features Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, and Tenoch Huerta in a star-studded cast.
The news was broken by former heavyweight champion and UFC 277 weigh-ins colour commentator, Daniel Cormier, during a recent show.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster, “Black Panther” which tells the story of King T’Challa, formerly portrayed by Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” Kamaru Usman, as his nickname suggests, is of Nigerian descent and moved to the United States when he was eight years old, he later turned out to be a successful wrestler in high school and college before moving on to MMA. He now has a 21-1-0 record and is considered one of the best MMA fighters on the planet.
Though Usman, who is a huge fan of the superhero, has the physical attributes of a real-life Black Panther, it’s unlikely he’ll be playing the superhero, despite his long-held desire to do so. The extent of his involvement in the blockbuster sequel is currently unknown.
Usman will defend his welterweight title against UK native Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on Saturday, August 20, 2022, while “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be released on November 11, 2022.
It would be recalled that Nigerian sensational singer, Tems got featured in the official soundtrack for the movie, delivering a beautiful rendition of Bob Marley’s song “No Woman, No Cry”.
