“He’s not that guy anymore” – Kamaru Usman feels Conor McGregor has lost relevance

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3 years ago

Kamaru Usman of Nigeria celebrates after his victory over Jorge Masvidal in their UFC welterweight championship fight (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

A high-voltage matchup between Conor McGregor and Kamaru Usman was looming large in early 2020

There was a time when McGregor would just show up inside the Octagon, beat his opponent to a pulp, and walk away with a cakewalk victory. Sometimes, all ‘the Notorious’ needed was just seconds, like he did against Jose Aldo and Dustin Poirier during the mid-2010s.

After a minor blip against Nate Diaz in 2016, he went on to win the lightweight championship against a ‘then-fearsome’ Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. McGregor became a two-division champion that night – ‘Champ Champ’.

However, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman feels that Conor McGregor isn’t that guy anymore.

In an interview with Mauricio Pedroza of Ahora o Nunca, Usman explained that the Irishman was just another ‘regular’ UFC fighter and not the ‘champ champ’ man, everyone used to respect.

Usman said:

“He’s not the champion Conor McGregor. He’s not the double champion, he’s not that guy anymore…The old Conor, the hungry Conor, that was the fighter that fighters respected. Not that we don’t respect him at all, he’s still a UFC fighter, but he’s just a regular fighter.” [via Ahora o Nunca]

Kamaru Usman opens up on a move to the middleweight division

It is safe to say that Usman is the best welterweight fighter in the world. He has easily dispatched everyone inside the Octagon, raking up 14 victories on the trot.

Kamaru Usman of Nigeria punches Gilbert Burns of Brazil in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 258 event. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

He has beaten almost everyone top-ranked welterweight fighter. ‘Will the Nigerian move to the middleweight division?’, seems to be the question in everyone’s minds.

Speaking about a possible move to the MW division in an interview with CBS Sports HQ, Usman revealed that he wouldn’t switch since his dear friend and fellow countryman Israel Adesanya is the reigning king of the 185:

“Right now, I want to continue to just get better. My good friend, buddy and fellow countryman Israel Adesanya is the middleweight champion right now. With that being said, I don’t have any desire to go up and try to compete for that belt. But if he is no longer the champion, then it makes sense.”