Conor McGregor took shots at just about everybody in his latest live stream gambling experience.
“The Notorious” Irishman can typically be relatively hot and cold depending on how he feels about his combat sports peers. Appearing on a Duelbits live stream yesterday (Mon., May 20, 2024), McGregor was asked several questions by fans throughout. When asked about the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, McGregor asked who that was before saying, “F—k him.”
It was a mild and tame verbal jab compared to what Khabib Nurmagomedov or UFC Featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, received from McGregor. Nonetheless, it didn’t sit well with Usman.
“At what point does this become more than money?” Usman asked on Pound-4-Pound. “At what point does this become the integrity of the sport? Listen, at the end of the day, Conor is who Conor is. Conor has done some pretty fantastic things in this sport of mixed martial arts for the UFC. He has. But, Conor, so have I. You were a champion, so was I. So, at the end of the day, where I have a little issue is you come around saying, ‘He’s a bum,’ or he’s this. You can’t say that, Conor.
“I didn’t kick him while he was down,” he continued. “He’s had run-ins with the law. He’s had back-to-back instances, but you never heard me sit there and kick the man while he was down. There needs to be some level of respect here because, at the end of the day, that’s what this sport is all about. The respect and the discipline we all put in to get to the top of the sport. That seems to be something he’s lacking.”
McGregor, 35, is set to return to action when he faces Michael Chandler in UFC 303’s main event next month (Sat., June 29, 2024). The fight will take place in Usman’s longtime division of Welterweight and should things go McGregor’s way, he’s already expressed interest in challenging for the title at some point.
Ultimately, that was an option already on the table before Leon Edwards became champion, says Usman.
“For you to say, ‘Oh, Ilia Topuria, he’s a bum,’ he’s not a bum. He’s the champion of the world right now,” Usman said. “I’m not a bum. Clearly. Because if you wanted an opportunity to fight me, I gave Conor two opportunities to fight me while I was champion. I told him, ‘Hey, if you want a crack at that third belt, who better?’ I was on the run that I was on, who better for you to come up and fight? He talked about it when he wanted to make his return, ‘Maybe I’ll go up and grab the third belt.’ It is what it is, Conor.
“To call me a bum is kind of disrespectful,” he continued. “I didn’t disrespect you when you were having your troubles. So, my man, I think it’s sometimes easier, and it’s better — well, it’s not easier — it’s better if you put that whiskey bottle down and actually come back to your wits and be a good father and a good role model.”