Getty Conor McGregor meets fans at a Reebok UFC Combat Gear retail event held at JD Sports on October 22, 2015 in Dublin, Ireland.
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman has taken aim at MMA superstar Conor “Notorious” McGregor. In a recent interview with TMZ, Usman said that he had previously offered Notorious a shot at the title, however the Irishman was “silent.” He said, “If Conor wants to put my name in his mouth, then come get some.”
When asked about fighting McGregor, Usman told TMZ “it’s just a lost cause.”
The Nigerian Nightmare said, “The only time Conor gets up to the welterweight division is if he’s able to pick and choose lightweights with double-digit losses that he can pick off and not have to cut weight to get down to lightweight.”
He continued, “If Conor wants a piece at welterweight, he knows who the king of the division is. I’m not going anywhere! I’m right here!”
According to the welterweight champ, days after he offered Notorious a shot at his strap, Anderson Silva called out McGregor and the Irishman agreed. Usman said, “It’s clear right there to know if Conor is willing to step up and take a fight like this or not, but I think he’s a wise guy so he should just stay retired.”
McGregor retired from MMA in June, citing one of the main reasons as his lack of excitement for his potential opponents, including Silva.
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Usman Competed Last Weekend in the Main Event of UFC 251 & He Defended His Belt for the Second Time
On July 11, Usman stepped into the Octagon to face No. 3 ranked contender Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal in the main event of UFC 251. Gamebred took the fight on six days notice as No. 1 ranked Gilbert Burns was forced off the card after testing positive for COVID-19.
Usman and Masvidal fought all five championship rounds, with Usman dominating most of the fight. The Nigerian Nightmare won the bout by unanimous decision, defending his belt for the second time.
TMZ asked Usman if he thought McGregor could beat Masvidal, and the welterweight champ replied, “Honestly, I don’t know and truthfully I don’t really care. At this point in my career, I’m just worried about me.”
Usman Has Expressed Interest in Fighting Georges St-Pierre
The Nigerian Nightmare has his eyes on 39-year-old UFC legend Georges St-Pierre. “GSP” was the welterweight champion for years and he retired from the sport for the second time after winning the middleweight championship in 2017.
When TMZ asked Usman about GSP, he said, “Yeah, I would love to test myself against a guy like that. But, as far as Conor, if he wants a piece, he can come talk to the king. Those aspirations to becoming a welterweight champion, severely turn into nightmares when you step inside that Octagon with me.”
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Usman laid out the reasons why he wants to take on GSP.
“Honestly, I would have to say Georges St-Pierre. Right now we’re tied for the record- most consecutive wins in the welterweight division – and Georges is a tough guy, Georges is a legend. Georges is a guy who has put his time in and is considered one of the best and that’s where I aim to be. Georges can still do it. He proved it, what, two years ago when he came back, that he can still do it. And I feel that he’s still able to do it. He’s still able to come in and be that opponent where people are unsure. Like, “You know what? We don’t know if Usman’s got this one.” I think Georges St-Pierre can be that guy and that’s what I’m looking for. Those are what champions are made of. When you get that feeling, ‘I’m not sure. This one’s a tough one. I don’t know how this one is gonna go but I’m gonna damn well go out there and compete and see what happens.’ I think Georges St-Pierre can be that guy and if Georges wants to do it, Georges can get it too.
UFC president Dana White has told the media that Burns will likely be Usman’s next opponent.
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