Conor McGregor. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-UFC champ says Conor McGregor turned down multiple title fights against him

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 5/23/24

It’s safe to assume there’s no one in UFC that Conor McGregor (22-6) is afraid to talk smack about.

But his penchant for trash-talking isn’t sitting right with former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-4), who’s been a target of McGregor’s insults. During a recent episode of the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, Usman responded to McGregor’s remarks about him, turning the tables and suggesting the Irishman was too scared to settle their differences in the Octagon.

“I’m not a bum, clearly, because if you wanted an opportunity to fight me … I gave Conor two opportunities to fight me while I was champion,” Usman said. “I told him, ‘Hey, if you want a crack at that third belt, who better?’ I was on the run that I was on. Who better for you to come up and fight?’”

Whether McGregor was truly ducking Usman or wasn’t ready to move up from lightweight to welterweight isn’t known, but Usman reiterated back in March 2023 when McGregor teased a run at the welterweight title that he’d welcome a fight with McGregor, stating he’d offered to fight him in the past but was always turned down.

Usman is on record stating that a fight against McGregor wouldn't be fair.

Kamaru Usman talks about how a fight with McGregor would go at welterweight in early 2020.

“It would not be fair. You saw what Khabib did to him at 155, now imagine me doing that to him at 170.”

@joeroganhq pic.twitter.com/4mlJNIm2ZT
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) May 21, 2024

Usman’s welterweight title reign lasted from March 2019 to August 2022. During that span — in which he defeated former champion Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington (twice), Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns — McGregor was offered multiple title fights but declined.

“It is what it is, Conor,” Usman added. “If you wanted to fight, you had your opportunity, but you didn’t. So to call me a bum is kind of disrespectful, and I didn’t disrespect you when you were having your troubles, so I think it’s sometimes easier and it’s better… that you put that whisky bottle down and actually come back to your wits and be a good father and a good role model.”

McGregor returns to the Octagon on June 29 against Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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