Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman isn’t taking a recent call out by former two-division champion Conor McGregor seriously. To him, the Irishman is just using his name to stay relevant.
“Notorious” made headlines last month when he suggested his days as a lightweight are probably over and he would rather compete full time at welterweight. As well as the fact that because of his lofty status in the sport as its most popular star, a title fight with the champion Usman is the only bout that would make sense next.
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During a conversation on Friday with TMZ Sports, “The Nigerian Nightmare” talked about his fighting future likely being in a matchup with Englishman Leon Edwards, and that the “little kid” he couldn’t recall the name of is just trying to maintain relevance by using his name in fight callouts.
Kamaru Usman can’t remember Conor McGregor’s name
“Right now, we’ve kind of got Leon Edwards sitting there. You got the other loud-mouth little kid, the Irish kid, you know the Irish guy. You got the Irish guy on the side running his mouth,” Usman said with a smile. “You forget [his name], but this is why you forget, you forget because this guy’s not relevant. He hasn’t done anything in the sport as of late. So, in order for him to be relevant, he has to try to attach his name to someone who is relevant. And that’s what the media is not understanding and getting right now.”
Later in the conversation, the 34-year-old explained how at one point in his career it was hard to get the fights he wanted, and he had to step out of character to goad opponents into booking. However, that is just not a style he prefers. He said he is simply a good person at heart and is not an “entertainer” like Conor McGregor, and is not going to use family as a source for hype building material.
- Kamaru Usman record: 20-1 (9 KOs, 1 submission)
“Some of these guys, they’re entertainers. Conor, he’s an entertainer. He’s gonna run his mouth. Let’s be honest, a lot of people don’t believe his sh*t,” said Usman. “But it sounds good. He’s got that accent on it so it sounds good, but a lot of people don’t believe the bullsh*t. It sounds good to where people are [like], ‘okay let’s see it.’ I’m not that guy. I’m not gonna talk sh*t to you about your family, about your kids, your parents, your religion. I’m not that guy. I’m just a good human being.”
Following hand surgery, the champion is not expected to return to action until some point in the summer. In his last outing, he defeated division rival Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 268 by unanimous decision.
- Conor McGregor record: 22-6 (19 KOs, 1 submission)
McGregor has not fought since losing a second straight bout to Dustin Poirier in July of 2021. He has been defeated in three of his last four, all finishes.