Kamaru Usman doesn't buy into the idea that Ian Garry is one fight away from UFC welterweight title shot: "You've still got myself ahead"
Former UFC welterweight world champion Kamaru Usman isn't all too impressed by Irish rising star Ian Garry's win over Michael 'Venom' Page at UFC 303 last weekend. 'The Future' bested the English MMA star via a unanimous decision in what most would call a less-than-stellar performance inside the octagon.
In a recent episode of Usman's podcast, Pound 4 Pound, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' commended the undefeated Garry's "smart" performance but somewhat disagreed when his co-host, former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo, claimed that ''The Future' is one win away from seeing his first-ever UFC world title shot.
Kamaru Usman said:
"Ian Garry did the right thing. He did the smart thing to do. Let me take him [Page] down and let me grapple. And he did just that."
On Cejudo's take on Ian Garry's UFC world title shot hopes, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said:
"As far as him [Garry] being one fight away [from a UFC title shot], potentially. Because you still got myself ahead of Ian Garry. Colby Covington ahead of Ian Garry. Gilbert Burns. Shavkhat Rakmanov. Belal Muhammad ahead of Ian Garry, who's about to fight [UFC welterweight champion] Leon Edwards. He's potentially one or two fights away depending on which fight it is or who's available at the time."
Watch a clip of the conversation here:
Kamaru Usman weighs in on Alex Pereira's chances at UFC heavyweight division
Commenting on UFC 303's main event attraction, UFC light-heavyweight kingpin Alex 'Poatan' Pereira, Kamaru Usman addressed calls for the 205-pound king to move up to heavyweight.
After Pereira defended his belt for a second time by knocking out former foe Jiri Prochazka via a second-round head-kick KO, calls for a fight with UFC heavyweight champion and consensus GOAT Jon Jones started.
On Pereira's chances at dominating the UFC's 265-pound division, Usman said (via Pound 4 Pound podcast):
"Can he [Pereira] go to heavyweight? 100% Do I think he's too small? No. I think he can definitely grow into it. He is just as big as these guys. He's standing next to these guys and he looks like a giant still, next to them. He can still keep his speed. His power is heavyweight power already."
On who can give 'Poatan' problems at heavyweight, Usman said:
"Guys that posses a problem [for Pereira at heavyweight] are Curtis Blaydes, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall. Besides those three guys, I think he [Pereira] puts hands on the rest of those heavyweight as well."
Watch a clip of Usman talking about it here: