Nigeria’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman has found himself entwined in another web of verbal blasts and taunts between him and an icon of mixed martial arts (MMA), Conor McGregor, megasportsarena.com reports.
The latest spat between both UFC gems is coming against the backdrop of Usman’s amazing and totally dominating second round knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal this past Saturday in The Nigerian Nightmare’s fourth title defence, but McGregor downplayed the feat.
While the large world and huge array of fight purists are showering encomiums on Usman for his second straight win over Masvidal, McGregor slammed the UFC’s welterweight champion, who he accused of copying his words and shots.
‘The Notorious,’ who is in training for his July trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, disclosed that he watched Usman knock out Masvidal with a pulverising straight right hand, but insists it was a move he created and trolled ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ as an upstart.
McGregor stated on Twitter, alongside a video of him throwing straight punches at Poirier: “Usman even copying my shots now. Am I to fight this guy at some stage? I think so. Can’t be copying my words and my shots and not get a smack for it. I like 170lb. It’s mine soon.”
Incidentally, Usman had earlier declared that he would give McGregor, a legendary two-weight UFC champion, a savage beating if they should ever meet in The Octagon and accused ‘The Notorious’ of dodging a fight with him.
Usman told TMZ: “Conor knows he doesn’t want those problems. I’ve offered him a title fight… Conor, you have the shot if you want it. Conor doesn’t want it, you know? At the end of the day, he won’t say my name, as well. He was silent.”
‘The Notorious’ responded with a verbal jab on social media after Usman defended his belt for the fourth time at UFC 261 and Miami’s finest to sleep and both fighters have now launched a massive verbiage plus exchange of heated words that could set them up for a major future fight.
McGregor believes he remains a very formidable force at 170-pounds and that he has what it takes to defeat the active champ, but he must first get through his upcoming bout against Poirier in the higher echelon lightweight class.
McGregor’s last fight at welterweight against Donald Cerrone lasted no more than 40 seconds and was exceedingly impressive, while taking on Usman would be a chance for ‘The Notorious’ to become the UFC’s first triple champ.
Defeating Poirier at UFC 264 would likely open the door to McGregor fighting for the lightweight title in a ‘champion vs champion’ super fight versus Usman, against a mouthy yet highly-respected rival that has previously fought in the welterweight division, but won his world titles at featherweight and then lightweight.
That has raised a testy poser: Can McGregor really regain his UFC championship at lightweight, then move up to challenge Usman at welterweight? Even as an appertizing possibility rises over a showdown with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ who is famed for his powerful wrestling and, at 33 years old, went into Saturday’s main event at Masvidal’s home turf on a 17-fight winning streak.
However in a follow-up tweet, the Irishman declared that fighting at 170lb is good for him and he added: “Give me till end of year at this 155lb weight. I’ll get the strap and then I’ll go up again. After green fungus panties hahaha ‘cos any one of these fools can get it’ – Usman.”
Usman fired back: “I offered you the fight and you went missing. Let’s stay humble young man. I already took your pride. Don’t make me take your whiskey too Winking face;” after McGregor taunted via @TheNotoriousMMA: “Relax there, carbuncles. You big spotty back pox.
“You were ringside last time I fought at 170. 40 seconds is all it took. Why did you reschedule Burns fight ? What was the reason, that was never given to the public, why that already signed fight was then rescheduled?”