With UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman’s continued dominance, Chael Sonnen doesn’t see him competing for too much longer.
Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) notched his fifth successful title defense when he outlasted Colby Covington this past Saturday at UFC 268, defeating his rival for the second time.
Talks of being the greatest welterweight of all time already have emerged from the likes of UFC president Dana White, and Sonnen thinks Usman is close to reaching the heights of two-time UFC welterweight champ and Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre, who had nine consecutive 170-poound title defenses and also won the middleweight belt.
“Kamaru Usman is out there defending a championship of the world and pound-for-pound status while chasing a ghost of Georges St-Pierre,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “It’s a very hard spot for Usman.”
Usman recently surpassed St-Pierre for most consecutive UFC wins with 15 and is closing in on Anderson Silva’s record of 16. Usman’s five title defenses consist of two wins each over Covington and Jorge Masvidal, as well as another against Gilbert Burns. Sonnen thinks once “The Nigerian Nightmare” surpasses St-Pierre as the greatest welterweight of all time, that’s when he’ll call it a career.
“Retirement for Kamaru Usman, even though that’s not anywhere in his mouth, is gonna come a lot quicker than you might think,” Sonnen said. “He’s done everything. He’s now going through his second time, and he only has one goal left, which is to overtake the idea of Georges St-Pierre. Pretty difficult, right? But he’s well on his way. Kamaru could get beat; Kamaru could leave the sport.”
He continued, “Kamaru Usman is a top two welterweight of all time. It’s down to Kamaru and St-Pierre. There is no other discussion.”
Chael Sonnen: Kamaru Usman ‘chasing a ghost of Georges St-Pierre,’ will retire sooner than later
