UFC champ Kamaru Usman has a deep burning motivation to defeat Colby Covington in their potential welterweight title bout.

After claiming UFC gold with a dominant win over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 earlier this month, Usman (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) is recovering from a double hernia surgery. All signs point to him returning later this year, though, and former interim titleholder Covington (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is seemingly the frontrunner.

The heat between Usman and Covington goes back prior to when either man was involved in UFC title fights, and “The Nigerian Nightmare” is eager to get in the octagon and make the fight happen. Covington has become perhaps the most antagonizing and polarizing fighter in the sport, and for Usman, beating him represents something much bigger than a title defense.

Usman comes from a family of immigrants, and he views Covington as a symbol of many of the issues plaguing foreigners in the United States. To be able to shut him down would signify something special for Usman, he said Monday on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.

“Part of what this next fight symbolizes to me, is the attitude that a lot of people have towards immigrants,” Usman told UFC commentator Rogan. “A lot of people forget that Americans are immigrants. People are forgetting that, to where people have this attitude, ‘We’re Americans, go back to your country. Go back. This is a free country.’ I always heard that growing up. I always heard that. The more I research it’s like, ‘What? What are you talking about’ This whole attitude. When you walk into a nail shop to get your hands and feet and nails done – who are the majority of the people who run those nail shops? Asians. I’m not saying all of them in the country, but a majority of them are Asians. But there’s a whole bunch of people who look down on them like, ‘I’m not washing your feet. I’m not going to do your nails.’ Those people do that because they take pride in that, it helps them. They do that. That’s not a job people want to do it. When you go to hotels, who are the maids who work at most of those hotels? A lot of them are immigrants. We take pride in that because we’re in a better place and want to provide for our families. Those are jobs a lot of people, the so-called ‘Americans,’ the whole Colby Covington persona are like, ‘I’m above that.’

“That’s the persona. But at the same time people want to cry, ‘They’re talking our jobs, let’s build a wall, let’s keep them out, they’re taking our jobs.’ No, they’re providing, they’re helping this country get to its height. The fact you can come here and have someone do your nails, have someone clean your house, someone wash your car, someone do all this for you, is part of what makes America so great. One of the greatest nations in the world. The fact they want to build a wall, they want to keep these people out, ‘you can’t come here, you can’t bring your culture.’ It saddens me and it upsets me. Its part of when this fight happens, this fight represents for me, because I feel like this is the attitude this young man has. He’s entitled to, ‘I should be UFC champ, you’re a soy boy, you can’t handle me boy.’ That’s his attitude, ‘You can’t do this boy.’ First of all, who’s your boy? I’m a grown ass man. Don’t (expletive) talk to me like that. That’s the attitude he has.

“He’s entitled to this: ‘I should be the champion, I’m American.’ Bro, we’re all American here. This fight is greater than just a guy who is talking (expletive). This fight means a lot to me. So when I get the chance to put my hands on this guy, just know that it’s the wrath of every immigrant in this country that I’m going to put on him.”

Usman, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA welterweight rankings, said his passionate feelings about the No. 3-ranked Covington fight can’t be something that hinders him, though. He’s clearly invested in the matchup, but won’t allow “Chaos” to drag him outside his element in the octagon. That said, the way Usman feels he matches up in the potential bout will not play out well for Covington.

“I haven’t been in a fight yet where it was malicious, where I was maliciously trying to hurt someone,” Usman said. “I haven’t been in that fight. My mind is strong. I don’t compete, ‘Oh, I want to kill this guy.’ Then you swing five punches and miss and you’re dead tired. I don’t compete like that. This one, I’m still going to compete like myself, but there’s a little extra, ‘Oomph’ behind those elbows now. I’m going to filet your face. This win is going to be one I really enjoy.”

Usman, 31, said he doesn’t know when the contest with Covington will unfold. He’s just days out from a serious surgery and is no condition to begin preparation for a fight. He said he’s fought in a less than ideal state for several years, and intends on feeling as good as possible the next time he gets in the cage.

“I have to get healthy first,” Usman said. “For a long, long time I’ve been fighting hurt. I’ve been fighting hurt for so long. There’s been training camps where I could barely walk. For the last two years my daughter has been laughing at me because I walk down the stairs backwards. It relieves pressure on my knees. My daughter laughs at me. There was a time I couldn’t walk.”

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