"He's lapping guys that are just nasty" - UFC President Dana White on why he believes Kamaru Usman has surpassed Georges St-Pierre as the welterweight GOAT
Kamaru Usman is set to make his sixth title defense at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City against the extremely tough Leon Edwards. While Edwards isn't regarded as the flashiest or most exciting of fighters, his nine-fight winning streak in the welterweight division speaks for itself.
A win over Edwards will reignite talk that Usman should be considered the greatest welterweight fighter of all time, above even Georges St-Pierre. According to Dana White, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is already there. He told The MMA Underground:
"He's up there with Jon Jones and Anderson Silva and GSP, he's one of the greatest of all time. He's already the greatest welterweight, there's no denying that. Look at who he's beat. Look at the guys he's beat, and he's coming around to beat them again for the second time. He's lapping guys that are just nasty."
It's unsurprising that Dana White would push Usman as the greatest welterweight of all time. White is a promoter, and building up a retired Georges St-Pierre doesn't sell any UFC pay-per-views in the future.
Numerically, though, Georges St-Pierre still holds the title as the greatest welterweight of all time. He has the most wins in UFC welterweight history (19) and the most title fight wins (12). Kamaru Usman has 15 wins at welterweight, 6 of which were in title fights.
While Usman is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC and one of the greatest welterweights of all time, it will be tough for him to surpass Georges St-Pierre due to the dominance the Canadian legend showed over his seven years at the top of the 170-pound division.
Watch Dana White make the case for Kamaru Usman as the best welterweight of all time:
Kamaru Usman is looking forward to making Khamzat Chimaev pay for trash talk
Kamaru Usman is focused completely on his UFC 278 fight against Leon Edwards on August 20, but that doesn't mean he hasn't heard all the trash talking Khamzat Chimaev has done. In an interview with ESPN MMA, Usman said:
"Oh, he said a lot of things. But he's not the next guy up, so I don't have to worry about him. When he is the next guy up, all those things come out... You can't think too far ahead and miss the mark of where I am right now. Leon is that guy... But Khamzat has said a few things, you know, they are just back there in the vault. When it's time to go back there and open it up, we'll open it up."
While Dana White hasn't promised the winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz a welterweight title shot, it's certainly a possibility. If Kamaru Usman gets past Leon Edwards, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' and 'Borz' could settle all the talk sooner rather than later.
With back-to-back welterweight headliners at #UFC278, #UFC279, @danawhite says Khamzat Chimaev could absolutely earn a shot at the winner of Usman-Edwards – but so could Nate Diaz.
"If Nate beat Khamzat Chimaev ... you'd have to look at Nate, too."
Full: mixedmartialarts.com/news/dana-whit… https://t.co/uNFf9PsUSr