Usman Responds To Paul’s Mockery With A Hypothetical Question

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has given Jake Paul some things to think about following Paul’s recent mockery of him. Usman is expected to return to the UFC Octagon later this year after undergoing hand surgery. He’s slated to face Leon Edwards, who is coming off of a win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263….

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UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has given Jake Paul some things to think about following Paul’s recent mockery of him.

Usman is expected to return to the UFC Octagon later this year after undergoing hand surgery. He’s slated to face Leon Edwards, who is coming off of a win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

Usman is the UFC’s pound-for-pound best, but he’s also hinted at pursuing other challenges in the fight game. He’s called out Canelo Álvarez for a crossover fight, with both sides exuding some interest.

Paul and Usman have gone back and forth on social media in the past, but Paul upped the ante by mocking Usman’s desires to fight Canelo. In a recent tweet, Usman hit back at Paul for accusing him of hypocrisy when it comes to boxing.

“You’re really good at this internet tough guy shit I give you that,” Usman replied. “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.”

Usman has won 19 fights in a row, with his lone defeat in MMA coming against Jose Caceres at CFA 11 in 2013. He was submitted with a standing rear-naked choke by Caceres.

Paul Likes The Idea Of Being Locked In A Room With Usman

After seeing Usman’s response, Paul hit back with a doctored image of Usman tapping to a Paul-faced Caceres.

“Me and you locked in a room together… sounds like a good time to me,” Paul tweeted. “I’ll bring the fuzzy handcuffs.”

Paul is planning a return to the ring later this year and recently teased August 13th as his next fight date. He’s been linked to potential bouts with Tommy Fury, Michael Bisping, and Anderson Silva for his next challenge in the ring.

If Usman gets his wish in the form of a fight with Canelo, a boxing match with Paul may not be completely out of the question.

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Khamzat Chimaev Pursues UFC Title Battle, Calls Out Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya

Khamzat ChimaevUndefeated welterweight contender has sights fixed on becoming a UFC titleholder in his next Octagon outing, calling for a pairing against either Kamaru Usman, or current middleweight best, Israel Adesanya. Khamzat Chimaev, who improved to 11-0 as a professional back in April, managed to also scoop the #3 rank in the official welterweight pile – […]

Khamzat Chimaev

Undefeated welterweight contender has sights fixed on becoming a UFC titleholder in his next Octagon outing, calling for a pairing against either Kamaru Usman, or current middleweight best, Israel Adesanya.

Khamzat Chimaev, who improved to 11-0 as a professional back in April, managed to also scoop the #3 rank in the official welterweight pile – landing a unanimous decision victory over one-time title challenger, Gilbert Burns.

The AllStars MMA staple was forced the distance for the first time in his Octagon tenure against Niteroi native, Burns – having previously lodged a quartet of finishes under the UFC banner.

Khamzat Chimaev has been widely tipped to eventually clinch UFC gold

Linked with a matchup against both former interim titleholder, Colby Covington, and recent main event big winner, Belal Muhammad off the back of his win over Burns, Khamzat Chimaev appears to have sights set on another opponent instead – either champions, Usman, or Adesanya.

“Who wants to fight?” Khamzat Chimaev tweeted accompanied by a video of him smiling between rounds in his April outing against Burns. @stylebender (Israel Adesanya) @USMAN84kg (Kamaru Usman).” 

Competing just once at the middleweight limit in five-fight Octagon stint, Chimaev, a former Brave CF standout debuted in the UFC on ‘Fight Island’ in July 2020 – stopping John Philips with a second round D’Arce in his sole middleweight outing.

In four welterweight wins since then, Chimaev best Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, Li Jingliang, and the aforenoted, Burns.

Whilst Chimaev welcomes a championship pairing with either Adesanya or Usman next – it appears the titleholding duo already have contenders to their respective thrones lined up.

185lb champion, Adesanya, who plys his trade under the City Kickboxing banner, has campaigned for a summer matchup against the #2 ranked challenger, Jared Cannonier next – in an attempt to land his fifth successful title defense.

For Usman, the Auchi native, who is the current pound-for-pound number one under the UFC’s banner, is all but penned to fight against the #2 rated, Leon Edwards in a title rematch later this annum. 

Kamaru Usman To MMA Fans: “I’m Just A Nice Guy”

Pound-For-Pound king Kamaru Usman wants MMA fans to know that he’s “not that guy” when it comes to trash-talking opponents. In light of all the callouts and trash talk from multiple fighters, Usman wants to make it clear to those who dislike him for not being more verbally aggressive that it just isn’t like him…

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Pound-For-Pound king Kamaru Usman wants MMA fans to know that he’s “not that guy” when it comes to trash-talking opponents.

In light of all the callouts and trash talk from multiple fighters, Usman wants to make it clear to those who dislike him for not being more verbally aggressive that it just isn’t like him to do so.

Recently, Conor McGregor has thrown some verbal punches at the welterweight champion, disrespecting his skills as a fighter and claiming he will strip him of the title. Additionally, the #3-ranked Khamzat Chimaev laughed at Usman’s chances to win a boxing match against the revered Canelo Alvarez.

Other fighters have done the same and Usman has kept a calm and collective demeanor about it, although he is well aware that MMA fans love to see and tweet about fighters that can talk up a good game before a fight.

“We live in this society nowadays to where it’s everybody for some reason everyone hates the good guy. People love to they don’t want to talk they don’t like the good guy they don’t wanna talk about the good guy. ‘Oh he’s not talking enough (censored), you know, he’s not doing that, breaking phones’ everybody loves to say that. They love to hate those guys,” Usman explained in an interview with Sky Sports.

The way Usman proves himself to opponents is by dominating them in the Octagon. With his grappling and boxing skills, Usman has proved time and time again that he is unmatched in the UFC’s welterweight division.

Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal
Kamaru Usman knocks out Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261

At this point, he does not feel the need to go out of character and act like the bad guy. So long as he remains the champion, Usman couldn’t care less about pleasing fans or other fighters’ requests to scorch someone on the mic or on social media.

“They can hate all they want. But when they step inside that Octagon, I am the pound-for-pound king and each and every opponent will understand that.”

What are your thoughts on Kamaru Usman not wanting to trash-talk other fighters?

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Usman Explains Why First Covington Fight Was So Important

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has detailed why his first victory over Colby Covington was monumental for his Octagon career. In the UFC 245 main event, Usman defended his title for the first time, having dominantly dethroned Tyron Woodley earlier in 2019. In his way of adding another achievement to his blossoming legacy was Covington,…

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UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has detailed why his first victory over Colby Covington was monumental for his Octagon career.

In the UFC 245 main event, Usman defended his title for the first time, having dominantly dethroned Tyron Woodley earlier in 2019. In his way of adding another achievement to his blossoming legacy was Covington, a former interim titleholder who had won seven straight prior to his first undisputed championship opportunity.

When the pair threw down at the Las Vegas-held pay-per-view, fireworks ensued. In a memorable war, both men left everything inside the cage.

After four rounds of action, many had the pair level on the scorecards leading into a crucial fifth frame. In the end, it was “The Nigerian Nightmare” who proved his championship mettle, finishing “Chaos” with less than a minute of the headline bout remaining.

While the triumph marked the first defense of his welterweight reign, Usman believes it represented so much more.

Usman: Covington Win Proved I Can Do Anything

Since his UFC 245 success, Usman has gone on to defend the 170-pound gold a further four times, twice against Jorge Masvidal, once against Gilbert Burns, and, most recently, in a rematch against Covington last November.

During a recent appearance on MMA Junkie Radio, the welterweight king discussed his ongoing stint with the belt. When asked which of the rubies on his belt meant the most, Usman identified his 2019 FOTY contender with Covington as one that was “monumental” for his career.

“I have some important (rubies) on there (the title). Of course, the first one is tough, the first one is big, being able to actually get this belt and call yourself a champion,” said Usman. “That was important to me, that was very, very big. How do you top that? You go and fight Colby Covington. That first fight was very—was monumental for me.

“It allowed me to understand something about myself. I wasn’t willing to fold. I wasn’t willing to break, under any circumstances, even the worst circumstances,” noted Usman. “And that’s what that fight taught me. Because anyone and everyone who watches that fight (saw that) I got hit. I took some shots. I’ve never been hit that much in my career, ever. I took some shots in that fight and I didn’t go away. I stood there and I said I was going to accomplish this. I was gonna beat this guy.”

For Usman, the fact he was able to push through adversity in his very first defense proved he could do anything moving forward. Given his recent results, that sentiment is certainly hard to argue with.

“Being able to do that, it just let me know, ‘You can do anything. You literally can do anything, anything at all.’ So, nothing is too great. No vision, no goal is too great for me to achieve at this moment, because of that,” concluded Usman.

With his ongoing dominance atop the welterweight mountain, Usman has certainly entered the divisional GOAT conversation, even if he is yet to firmly surpass the legacy of Georges St-Pierre.

Should “The Nigerian Nightmare” continue to push away challengers, including the likes of Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, the debate will become a lot more interesting.

Was Kamaru Usman’s first victory over Colby Covington the best of his career to date?

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Usman Blasts ‘Lowlife’ Espinoza & Others Who Have ‘Destroyed’ Boxing

Kamaru Usman clapped back at Stephen Espinoza on social media after the SHOWTIME Sports executive was critical of UFC fighters’ requests to face boxers. Ever since the blockbuster MayMac event of 2017 that saw Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor produce ceiling-busting profits, other MMA fighters have wanted to get a piece of the crossover action….

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Kamaru Usman clapped back at Stephen Espinoza on social media after the SHOWTIME Sports executive was critical of UFC fighters’ requests to face boxers.

Ever since the blockbuster MayMac event of 2017 that saw Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor produce ceiling-busting profits, other MMA fighters have wanted to get a piece of the crossover action.

Fighters like Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou have made headlines in recent months for their desires for big money fights against boxers Canelo Álvarez and Tyson Fury respectively, and many others have expressed a glancing interest in someday dabbling in the sweet science, including names like Max Holloway and Rose Namajunas.

This week, Usman and Ngannou have ramped up their efforts for landing their targeted money fights.

In Usman’s case, he has engaged in a back-and-forth with Canelo on Twitter, which has included Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz calling the boxer a “chicken” for not expressing the same level of interest in a potential fight against Usman.

The exchange between Usman and Canelo ended with Usman expressing a willingness to fight either in a cage or the ring and then concluded that Canelo simply does not want “that smoke.”

“You calling me out right ? You want the pay day right ? So you know where, but sit down it’s not your turn yet I have a legacy to make,” Canelo said in response to Usman’s ‘cage or ring’ dual challenges.

“Enough said… you don’t want that smoke in a real fight. I hear you! Good luck champ,” Usman replied.

This prompted SHOWTIME executive Stephen Espinoza to interject with the following:

“LOL. UFC fighters want that boxing paycheck but don’t understand that boxers have the autonomy to choose opponents. It’s not about not wanting “smoke.” It’s about professional self-determination, a foreign concept to those who let the kickboxing instructor choose their fights.”

The reigning UFC pound-for-pound king would then issue the following fiery retort.

“Boxing is a beautiful “Art” with some amazing athletes, and even a couple of good promoters. The problem is low lives like you that are around the sport that has destroyed it for everyone. Take notes from What Dana has done.”

“Our fans know who the best is because “The best fight The best” not run & hide and fight nobody’s with those plastic belts & call themselves “super champion”. Keep quiet next time & if you need lessons on how to save that dying sport let me know I’ve got Dana on speed dial.”

Espinoza is credited for making boxing the focal point for SHOWTIME Sports since 2011 when he took over as the department head. He is also said to have played a major role in putting together the best-selling PPV bout of all-time between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

Nevertheless, Espinoza has ruffled some feathers during his time as the head of SHOWTIME Sports. UFC President Dana White has had words with Espinoza in the past, and now his top pound-for-pound fighter is following suit.

What are your thoughts on this exchange including Kamaru Usman, Canelo, and Stephen Espinoza?

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Georges St-Pierre Believes Kamaru Usman Is Beatable If He Doesn’t Stay Focused

Georges St-PierreGeorges St-Pierre believes that Kamaru Usman is the best fighter in the UFC and in the division, but he does not believe he is invincible.  St-Pierre is one of the greatest fighters and possibly the greatest fighter to ever step into the cage. He knows about the feeling of invincibility and being humbled in the […]

Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre believes that Kamaru Usman is the best fighter in the UFC and in the division, but he does not believe he is invincible. 

St-Pierre is one of the greatest fighters and possibly the greatest fighter to ever step into the cage. He knows about the feeling of invincibility and being humbled in the cage. He was in that same situation with Matt Serra. Serra knocked out ‘GSP’ while he was at the top of his game. 

Usman has come close to losing a few times. He was knocked down by Gilbert Burns in their fight. Burns hits like a Mack truck, so for him to get up and dominate Burns the rest of the fight was very impressive. 

Some believe Colby Covington has inched out a victory over Usman. He has given him his best rounds and is one of the most well rounded fighters in the entire organization. 

It looks like Usman is looking forward to a fight with Canelo Alvarez, but Alvarez hasn’t reciprocated that same eagerness to box him. Usman may be overlooking his competition that may be in their primes of their careers. 

Georges St-Pierre believes there are a few guys in the welterweight division that could beat him in the octagon. 

“I believe there’s a lot of guys that can beat Usman,” St-Pierre told MMA News (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “I do believe personally Usman is the best right now in the division but that doesn’t mean he is invincible. He needs to always stay on top of the game. It’s hard to be champion and it’s even harder to stay champion. I’m sure if you ask Usman, he’ll tell you the same thing.” St-Pierre said. 

Usman may be overlooking killers like Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. Those guys are up next in terms of challengers and that could cause for a bad circumstance. 

“He’s on a tear right now, he looks phenomenal but there’s a lot of guys that can give him a lot of trouble like Khamzat Chimaev. Leon Edwards, maybe. Usman so far has been a puzzle that no one is able to solve. He’s incredible but he needs to stay focused to make sure he never underestimates nobody and trains for every fight like it’s the hardest fight he’s ever had.”