Kamaru Usman has accused Conor McGregor of disrespect following comments made by the Irishman during a recent fan Q&A. McGregor, who is preparing for his first fight in three years against Michael Chandler on June 29, took aim at several fighters in a Duelbits live stream, including Usman.
“Usman is talking crazy right now,” McGregor said. “Where’s Usman right now? What happened in his last fight again? I can’t even remember where you’re at in your game, bro, yeah? You’re nothing to me.”
Usman, 37, who held the UFC welterweight title from 2019 until 2022, lost the belt to Leon Edwards and subsequently suffered back-to-back losses against Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
Currently without a fight, Usman expressed his discontent with McGregor’s comments on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.
“At what point does this become more than money? At what point does this become [about] the integrity of the sport?” Usman asked. “You were a champion, so was I. So at the end of the day, where I have a little issue is you come around saying, ‘He’s a bum,’ or he’s this. You can’t say that, Conor.”
Usman highlighted his restraint in not kicking McGregor while he was down, noting McGregor’s legal troubles and other personal issues.
“There needs to be some level of respect here because, at the end of the day, that’s what this sport is all about. The respect and the discipline we all put in to get to the top of the sport. That seems to be something that he’s lacking.”
McGregor, a former featherweight and lightweight champion, has fought at welterweight three times, trading wins with Nate Diaz and defeating Donald Cerrone.
He had previously expressed a desire to become the first three-weight champion in UFC history while Usman held the welterweight title.
Usman said he was not a bum because he gave McGregor two opportunities to fight him while was the champion.
