"He is not a worldwide superstar" - UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald doesn't think Kamaru Usman should follow Conor McGregor's footsteps into boxing
Brendan Fitzgerald doesn't think Kamaru Usman should follow in Conor McGregor's footsteps and try his hand at professional boxing.
Usman recently claimed he was interested in boxing undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in a pound-for-pound showdown. The UFC welterweight king's suggestion was laughed off by the Mexican, who beat Caleb Plant last weekend.
McGregor, meanwhile, made his debut as a boxer against the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017. Despite losing the bout by TKO in the 10th round, 'The Notorious' made a whopping $130 million from it. The event sold 4,300,000 pay-per-view buys, second only to Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on the highest grossing boxing pay-per-view list.
During an appearance on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, Fitzgerald suggested 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is still only an MMA superstar and hasn't become a global sensation yet.
"That can't be right. It's like Conor McGregor was known as a good boxer. That's why he got the boxing match. Then there was the personality... Usman is a big star. But he does not cross over. You know what I mean. He is not a worldwide superstar. He is an MMA and UFC superstar, bonafide. No question about it."
Watch Brendan Fitzgerald in conversation with Michael Bisping below:
Kamaru Usman most recently fought Colby Covington in a rematch for his welterweight championship at UFC 268. He successfully defended the belt with a unanimous decision win.
Conor McGregor is currently the highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes
Conor McGregor has been out of action since UFC 264 in July this year. He suffered a broken leg in the very first round of his main event trilogy clash against fellow lightweight contender Dustin Poirier.
Despite his losses in the octagon, it hasn't been all doom and gloom for the Irishman. McGregor was named the highest paid athlete in the world by Forbes for 2021. He made $22 million in salary and winnings during the 12-month period, while adding another $158 million in endorsement and business deals.
The top 10 highest-paid athletes, per @Forbes
No. 1: McGregor - $180M
No. 2: Messi - $130M
No. 3: Ronaldo - $120M
No. 4: Dak - $107.5M
No. 5: LeBron - $96.5M
No. 6: Neymar - $95M
No. 7: Federer - $90M
No. 8: Lewis Hamilton - $82M
No. 9: Brady - $76M
No. 10: Durant - $75M https://t.co/JoWxOCXlf6
Conor McGregor is without a doubt the biggest MMA superstar in history. He has won featherweight and lightweight championship titles in both the UFC and the UK-based Cage Warriors promotion.