Kamaru Usman is letting it rip these days and Jake Paul has now found himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight kingpin’s crosshairs.
Seemingly fixated on the idea of crossing over for a boxing megafight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Usman recently went back-and-forth with his fellow combat sport pound-for-pound great. In the exchange, Canelo continued showing little interest in the matchup, therefore leading to an interjection from Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza. Ultimately, Paul decided to chime in and share his thoughts as well, instantly leading to a pair of questions from “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
“Kamaru Usman: ‘boxing is dying’” Paul quote tweeted to Usman. “Also Kamaru Usman: ‘pls Canelo fight me for a payday’”
Usman responded Monday (May 2, 2022) saying: “You’re really good at this internet tough guy shit I give you that. 2 questions for you… 1. You & Me locked in a room who makes it out alive? 2. Saul & I locked in a room who makes it out alive? I like your energy though [winking emoji]”
Usman last fought in Nov. 2021 when successfully defending his UFC title for a fifth time defeating Colby Covington via unanimous decision (watch highlights). Now, the champion has expressed his plan to rematch Leon Edwards during the summer before a hopeful September boxing showdown with Canelo. For that to happen, Usman will need the permission of UFC along with collaborating with Canelo’s side of operations, similar to when Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather met in 2017.
As for Paul, Usman isn’t interested in competing with the 5-0 upstart despite his fellow former Welterweight roster mates Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley falling short — the latter of which Usman defeated to become UFC champion in Mar. 2019.