UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman: Conor McGregor Is "Done As A Champion"

Kamaru Usman via UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship YouTubeCredit: C/O

According to UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Conor McGregor is “done as a champion.”

Usman appeared on the “I Am Athlete” podcast earlier this week, where former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall asked him about a potential bout with McGregor.

“Conor don’t want this work,” Usman said. “Conor don’t want this work.”

He then went on to detail that McGregor works the media by calling out fighters and then when he’s presented with a fight and a contract to sign he doesn’t return phone calls.

Usman explained, “He knows as soon as I throw it out, ten of these people gonna write about it. And then when they come to him and say, ‘Yo, all right, here’s the contract for the fight,’ he don’t even return phone calls.”

“I done tweeted him before,” Usman recalled. “I done tweeted Conor before. I said,’ All right,’ ’cause I was looking for somebody to fight. ‘All right, you want to fight, you got the fight.’ If you call him tomorrow and say, ‘Hey, I want the fight, they’re not gonna say no.'”

He then explained why he believed the Irishman’s best days were behind him.

Usman first details that McGregor is not done fighting, “No, he’s not done because he needs fighting.” However, when he realizes Marshall is asking if he’s done as champion, he answers, “Yes.”

Marshall then asks, “Will he ever be champion again to which Usman answers, “No. He’s not necessarily done, but he’s done as a champion. 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.”

Usman said McGregor lacks the motivation that drove him early in his career.

“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,” Usman said of McGregor. “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’s last fight was a doctor’s stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 last July. He broke his leg in the bout, but is reportedly close to a return. McGregor has repeatedly said he wants to challenge Usman for the welterweight title and become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three divisions.

“I believe versus Usman for the 170-pound title for my comeback is the one I’m eyeballing at the minute,” McGregor said in an interview with The Mac Life earlier this year.

McGregor has fought at welterweight three times, twice against Nate Diaz and once against the recently retired Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. While few fans would argue that his resume at 170 pounds warrants a title shot, nothing is out of the question with McGregor. Usman acknowledged as much in the interview.

“He’s that big to where he can pick. He can call the shots,” Usman said. “Conor can say ‘I’m gonna fight you tomorrow’ and he’s still gonna sell six, eight hundred thousand, a million buys.”

When it came down to it, Usman did not mince words about his willingness to fight McGregor.

“Absolutely. I’ll grab that check. Absolutely, I’ll grab that check,” Usman said emphatically.

Before he gets the chance to do that, Usman has some work to do. The pound-for-pound king will attempt a sixth title defense when he faces 2nd-ranked Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20.

If “The Nigerian Nightmare” handles business next weekend, there’s no doubt that the McGregor talks will heat up again.