UFC Welterweight Champion did not mince any words when asked about former double champ Conor McGregor in a recent interview.
Usman, who defended his belt against Jorge Masvidal at the UFC 261 main event with Francis Ngannou in his corner, feels that the Irishman is trying to draw attention towards him with his typical trash talking.
Speaking to ESPN, the Nigerian Nightmare said: “He is just a guy that is in the UFC… if he wasn’t Conor and hasn’t done the things that he has done he would be just a regular fighter.”
McGregor will take on Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 that will take place on July 10.
This will be a perfect opportunity for the UFC fanatics to win bonus codes at Bethard by predicting how the star-studded event will unfold. It was McGregor who won the first fight back in 2014, but Poirier upset the odds in 2021 by thumping the Irishman in the rematch.
However, McGregor’s back-to-back losses have hurt his reputation as the sport’s biggest superstar. After Usman stopped the Street Jesus in the second round of their rematch, McGregor resorted to teasing the fans for moving up a division.
McGregor tweeted: “Usman even copying my shots now. Am I to fight this guy at some stage? I think so. Can’t be copying my words and my shots and not get a smack for it. I like 170. It’s mine soon.”
Embed this tweet: https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1386288175966949378?s=20
Usman’s recent jibe was in response to McGregor’s tweet, which he disliked.
The welterweight champion was of the view that the UFC colleagues don’t have the same respect for McGregor that they once had for them, primarily because he hasn’t been at the same level inside the octagon.
“I mean that’s just exactly what it is. These guys are trying to chase clout. Or attach their name to you. And I just shrug it off my shoulders. Because at the end of the day, that’s all it is. These guys just running their mouths,” Usman remarked.
Usman has never been defeated in the UFC and has the second-longest win streak, just behind former UFC champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva. The UFC crown-holder has won all 14 fights, including four title defences in a row against Masvidal (twice), Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington.
During the interview, when he asked about taking on the Notorious in near future, the Nigerian-born claimed that he was open to the fight, but the Irishman isn’t.
“[Conor McGregor] doesn’t want to fight me, I’ve offered him the fight. He said no. And I’ll offer it to him again, gladly today. I guarantee you, he says no. So I just let it runoff,” Usman concluded.