"He will get lit the fu** up in a boxing match" - John McCarthy discusses Kamaru Usman's chances against Canelo Alvarez
Over the past several months, reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has been relentlessly lobbying for a fight against boxing megastar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. The general consensus is that Alvarez is unlikely to ever compete in MMA.
However, Usman is willing to face the legendary Mexican pugilist in his sport. Speaking of which, former MMA referee, ‘Big’ John McCarthy, has put forth his take regarding a potential Usman-Alvarez boxing matchup.
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In the latest edition of the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy and former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson addressed multiple topics. While speaking about Kamaru Usman’s ambitions in the MMA world, McCarthy briefly weighed in on the welterweight kingpin’s possible boxing showdown against 'Canelo' as well.
McCarthy lauded ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ for the improvements he’s made over the years. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Usman would get dominated if he were to fight Alvarez in a boxing match. McCarthy stated:
“The guy [Kamaru Usman] has got a great gas tank. He’s got great wrestling. His stand-up has gotten really good. It’s not good enough to beat ‘Canelo.’ Jesus Christ, people! You know, you have no fu**ing concept. He will get lit the fu** up in a boxing match.”
Watch McCarthy discuss the topic at 1:31:28 in the video below:
Kamaru Usman on his belief regarding a possible showdown against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez
Earlier this year, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman outlined why he felt he could beat Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in boxing. Usman views himself as a threat to Alvarez in the boxing ring, despite the latter being regarded as one of the greatest boxers ever.
Speaking to ESPN MMA, the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound MMA fighter referred to himself as “a Nigerian African lion” who manifests everything he wants. Usman suggested that his willpower would play a crucial role in beating Alvarez and said:
“See, that’s the thing about this crazy thing that we do; sports. And not just sports; fighting. No one knows the size of the dog inside you. No one knows it.”
Watch Usman’s interview below:
Presently, Alvarez is scheduled to defend his WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring Super Middleweight Titles in a trilogy fight against Gennadiy Golovkin on September 17. Meanwhile, Usman is set to defend his UFC welterweight title in a rematch against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20.
While Usman has long been interested in facing Alvarez in a boxing match, UFC President Dana White has been adamant about not letting his welterweight champion fight the skilled pugilist in the ring. Considering that, the probability of the Usman-Alvarez dream boxing matchup materializing seems quite low as of now.