Kamaru Usman says he is getting Jon Jones treatment for not fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310: "Like your mom telling you, you can't have that"
Kamaru Usman expressed his disappointment in fans in light of criticism received for allegedly refusing to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. After Rakhmonov's original opponent, welterweight champion Belel Muhammad, pulled out due to a bone infection, there were talks of the UFC potentially booking him to fight Usman.
However, the UFC booked Ian Garry to take on the Kazakhstan native. Fans have speculated about Usman refusing to fight Rakhmonov. In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru and Henry podcast, Usman addressed the criticism, saying:
"I'm seeing people online that go, 'Urgh, you scared? You duck him?' This is the same sentiment that I think people are doing to Jon Jones. It's just like when people, or, fans of a fighter, don't get their desired wish, that 'that's the fight I want' kind of fight, then it's like, 'Oh, no. That guy must be scared because he didn't take the fight. Guys, shut up!"
Drawing a relatable analogy for fans sentiment, Usman said:
"Guess what? It's like your mom telling you, 'No, you cannot have that toy today.' You know, you cannot have that toy. Shut your mouth. Instead, we've got a banger fight... Shavkat Rakhmonov taking on Ian Garry."
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below (29:35):
Usman's comments refer to the disappointment among fans over heavyweight champion Jon Jones' refusal to fight interim title holder Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout. Jones, at the tail end of his career, has shown interest in fighting veteran fighters like Alex Pereira, a decision that has left many fans feeling let down.
Chael Sonnen claims the UFC has given ultimatum to Jon Jones - "Retire or fight Tom Aspinall"
Following his UFC 309 win over Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones put retirement talks to rest and confirmed that he would continue to fight. However, he demanded "f*** money" to fight a dangerous young contender like Tom Aspinall and re-iterated his desire to compete against Alex Pereira. UFC boss Dana White struck down the matchup, citing Jones' size advantage and wrestling prowess.
In a recent episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Chael Sonnen claimed:
"I'll let you know where UFC stands. Jon has two choices: you fight Tom or you do not fight. There is nobody else is going to be offered. In fact, we've got a name that came off the board in terms of Alex Pereira. Dana put that to absolute rest, and when the oddsmakers put it as a 6-to-1 spread favoring Jones, that fight is gone. So Jon can sit out and not fight, that's true. But he's not going to be in a spot where he could fight someone else. It's basically retire or fight Tom Aspinall."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (27:00):