Kamaru Usman dismissed former UFC champion Conor McGregor as a ‘loudmouth’
Speaking to ESPN, Usman hit out at McGregor for his fading performances since he fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in 2017.
“’Right now, he’s more of a loudmouth,” he explained. “He is a guy that can compete but he is not the champion, Conor McGregor, he’s not the double champion. He is not that guy anymore.
“He is just a guy that is in the UFC… if he wasn’t Conor and hasn’t done the things that he has done he would be just a regular fighter.
“He is just a regular fighter with a lot of money, a lot of hype and a lot of recognition.
“The old Conor, the hungry Conor, that was the fighter that fighters respected. Now, not that we don’t respect him at all – he is a UFC fighter – but he is just a regular fighter.”
Usman also had words for Jake Paul - whose brother Logan suggested he would also switch to MMA - suggesting the younger YouTube celebrity brother has ideas above his station.
“I don’t necessarily care for the fight, but when you see… there is a lot of work I have put into my sport to get into the position I am in and then you see these guys saying ‘I want to challenge this guy, this guy’ it is disrespectful," he said.
“I want to go out and send him a clear message and harsh punishment. I think the cheque would have to have eight zeros in it.
“I didn’t pay attention before, he was just a regular guy running his mouth but once he made the comments he made about [Daniel Cormier], DC is not just one of the most respected guys in the sport he is also a good, close friend. Once I saw those comments, that’s when I took notice.
“If I am in a position to give these guys a lesson then absolutely. Because they are about my weight, if they ever wanted to fight I would be the guy they would have to fight. His brother is fighting Floyd [Mayweather] but that fight doesn’t make sense because Floyd is giving up almost 50lbs to these guys.
“I am their weight, I am the guy for them to pick on, I am the guy to discipline these guys and if it makes sense, then of course we will do it, but it will need a lot of zeros.”