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“So I think it’s a big, big, big fight, and all due respect to Georges, but I think I finish him.”
It’s unlikely to materalize, but UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman would love defend his title against former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre next.
Usman earned a late stoppage victory over Colby Covington this past Saturday at UFC 245 and, speaking to TMZ Sports in a recent interview, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ said it would be a dream come true to face St-Pierre in his next title defense.
“Honestly, I’m an equal opportunity guy. I don’t really care who it is. If I had to choose, of course I wants Georges [St-Pierre],” Usman told TMZ Sports recently. “I want GSP. One more win and I tie him for most consecutive wins [in the welterweight division] and how sweet would that be to actually get that win off of him?”
Usman believes it would be one of the biggest fights in the UFC and is confident he finishes St-Pierre in the Octagon.
“That would be an extremely exciting fight because I think we are the two hybrids of the welterweight division,” he said. “Since the welterweight division has been going on, I think he and I are the two hybrids. When he came on the scene, he could do it all – systematically break guys down to make the fight look easy. I just think that I’m a better level of that. I’ve got the power, I’ve got the cardio, I’ve got the strength, I’ve got the speed. So I think it’s a big, big, big fight, and all due respect to Georges, but I think I finish him.”
The general consensus amongst the MMA community is that BMF champ Jorge Masvidal should be next in line for a title shot, but the way Usman sees it, top-five welterweight Leon Edwards is the most deserving.
“Eh. Who cares?” Usman said about fighting Masvidal. “Honestly, I’m being honest, if you talk about a guy who is deserving of a title shot, it’s Leon Edwards… He’s a guy who I know is tough, and I recognize his talents for sure.”
UFC 245 saw Usman establish himself as the best welterweight in the world and crack the UFC’s top ten pound-for-pound rankings. Both Usman and Covington earned a $50,000, Fight of the Night bonus for putting on one of the best title fights of the year.