Getty
UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been linked to several high-profile matchups over recent weeks for his next fight, but UFC president Dana White revealed a major detail on Wednesday about who the Irishman’s next opponent would not be.
“Listen, the next title fight for [Kamaru] Usman is going to be one of these guys — it’s gonna be Colby [Covington], [Jorge] Masvidal, [Leon] Edwards,” White told ESPN. “It’s going to be one of those guys. It’s not gonna be Conor McGregor.”
So Usman might desire to put his UFC welterweight title belt up for grabs against McGregor, and McGregor might even want to try his hand at winning the title at 170 pounds someday, but that fight’s not going to happen anytime soon.
Minimally, it’s not going to be Usman’s next title defense.
Is Conor McGregor Thinking Way Bigger Than Welterweight?
McGregor was surprisingly challenged by former 185-pound champion Anderson Silva to a superfight of sorts on Wednesday night.
The 45-year-old Brazilian had mentioned the same thing in one of his Instagram stories over the weekend after McGregor suggested that “The Spider” and “The Notorious One” might be tied for being the best MMA fighter ever, but nobody seemed to take Silva’s suggestion seriously until he posted the challenge again with a picture of both fighters, along with an explanation about why he wants the fight.
Upon seeing it on Thursday, McGregor accepted Silva’s challenge and even insinuated he might be willing to face the former champ at 185 pounds in the fight.
So maybe McGregor is thinking way bigger than Usman.
Silva is one of the best 185-pound athletes in UFC history, but he’s way past his best years as a competitor.
If McGregor is serious about fighting at 170 or 185, Silva might make more sense as an opponent because he could be the less risky fight for McGregor at this point.
Plus, McGregor seems to respect and admire Silva, so competing against him in a superight might be a way for McGregor to express those things to Silva that would also greatly benefit Silva’s pocketbook.
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Who Will UFC Champ Kamaru Usman Fight Next?
Usman defeated Colby Covington at UFC 245 in December 2019, and the 33-year-old was expected to take on “BMF” champ Jorge Masvidal next.
It was even revealed that the UFC was targeting July for the Usman-Masvidal showdown after the two nearly came to blows during a media engagement during Super Bowl week.
But that fight never materialized, so Usman then turned his attention toward trash-talking his way into facing McGregor instead.
Per White’s comment to ESPN, it didn’t work.
Regardless, without Masvidal or McGregor as options, the most likely candidates for Usman’s next title defense would probably be Leon Edwards.
While Usman already defeated Edwards, that fight was way back in 2015, and Edwards has won eight straight since.
Still, facing Edwards after missing out on big-money fights against Masvidal or McGregor would be a steep drop for Usman.
White Hasn’t Discussed McGregor’s Next Opponent with Fighter
White revealed to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto for a story that published on Thursday afternoon that he and McGregor haven’t discussed options for the superstar’s next fight.
“Conor and I have not talked about fighting,” White said. “If you’re Conor, sitting at home, everybody is calling you out, in every weight division. Who’s next? I’m waiting for [heavyweight Daniel Cormier] to call him out, you know? Conor, his personality, he’s going to respond to that.”
White believes McGregor’s next fight should probably be in the lightweight division.
“I think what Conor needs to do is sit back and let these fights start rolling out,” White said. “Obviously, the most important division is the 155-pound division. See what plays out.”
So McGregor might be tied to all sorts of names right now, but nobody knows for certain who his next opponent will be.
Team Usman Keeps Trolling McGregor Anyway
Despite White saying Usman’s potential opponents for his next title defense would not include McGregor, the UFC welterweight champ and his team continued to troll the Irishman over the matter on social media.
Usman poked fun at McGregor accepting a fight against Silva but ignoring Usman’s comments.
Additionally, Usman’s manager continued to blast McGregor on social media, which is something Abdelaziz does so often that it’s almost not even worth reporting.
So Usman might not be in the McGregor sweepstakes, but he’s not completely giving up on the idea either.
READ NEXT: Shirtless Mike Tyson Inspires With Epic Weight Loss
Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
YouTube: Real Talk with Kelsey and Rachel