Kamaru Usman doesn’t think Conor McGregor has the desire to become a UFC champion again.
Although McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC), a former two-division title holder, expressed interest in challenging both welterweight champion Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira upon his return, Usman doesn’t see the fire from McGregor anymore.
McGregor’s rise to glory was well documented, going from welfare to becoming the UFC’s biggest star. Now that he’s achieved his goals, Usman wonders if McGregor’s motivation was ever in the right place in regards to becoming champion.
“He’s not necessarily done, but he’s done as a champion,” Usman said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. “This is my perspective, because when I fight guys, I study their hearts. When I watch fights, I watch their heart and for me, he’s done. He’s done, because I don’t know whether the goal was to get the money.
“I don’t know if that’s what it was, because there’s a story about him: He was broke. For me, it seemed like it was about not being broke, getting money. So I understand that. Now he’s not broke. But how are you gonna be champion, because that’s what drove you to become champion, because you didn’t want to be broke? Now you’re not broke anymore.”
McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Meanwhile, Usman defends his title against Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 278 on Aug. 20. Should he get past Edwards, Usman admits that he wouldn’t say no to a fight with McGregor but doubts the Irish superstar takes it.
“He could call me out, but that don’t mean he’s going to fight me,” Usman said. “It’s not necessarily that they protect him, because he’s bigger to where he can pick, where he can call his shots. He’s that big. Conor can say, ‘I’m going to fight you tomorrow,’ and he’s still gonna sell 1 million buys… absolutely, I’d grab that check.”
Kamaru Usman: Conor McGregor not necessarily done fighting, ‘but he’s done as a champion’
