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“But just being real, that’s a tremendous mismatch. I think I would hurt him really, really bad.”
UFC star Conor McGregor has flirted with the idea of challenging Kamaru Usman for welterweight title after he takes on Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, telling The MAC Life that he ‘liked the look of Kamaru Usman’ in his recent title defense against Colby Covington.
“But I like that welterweight belt. I liked that welterweight title fight that was on the weekend, I liked the look of that. I liked the look of Kamaru Usman. I liked the look of Colby [Covington]. I’m open to it all at 170,” McGregor said.
Usman has previously warned McGregor to stay in his lane, and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ recently claimed that a title fight versus ‘The Notorious’ would be a ‘tremendous mismatch’ and end very badly for the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.
Speaking to MMA Fighting in a recent interview, Usman said he would put a serious beating on McGregor and hurt him ‘really, really bad’.
“It is a [mismatch],” Usman told MMA Fighting. “More power to him, anything is possible. A fight is a fight, anything can happen. But just being real, that’s a tremendous mismatch. I think I would hurt him really, really bad.”
“I mean we saw what Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did to him,” Usman said of McGregor’s submission loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. “He had to take some time off after the Khabib fight,” Usman said. “Now imagine him fighting me. I don’t think we ever see him back in the sport.”
If, however, McGregor proves Usman wrong by beating somebody ranked in the top-five, the reigning welterweight champ will be more than happy to defend his title against the Irishman.
“Conor doesn’t even really make sense,” Usman said. “Sure, if he comes in the division and beats someone pretty high up there and really makes the case for himself that he can really handle himself in the division, then absolutely I would entertain that fight.”
UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone takes place later this month, Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.