"That's exactly what St-Pierre did" - Luke Thomas explains how Kamaru Usman's journey is similar to welterweight GOAT Georges St-Pierre
Luke Thomas has explained how the journey of Kamaru Usman is similar to that of Georges St-Pierre.
This Saturday night at UFC 268, Kamaru Usman will once again attempt to successfully defend the UFC welterweight championship. He’ll do so against Colby Covington, a man who he’s come face to face with before at UFC 245 in a winning effort.
Kamaru Usman, at this moment in time, is ranked as the pound-for-pound best male fighter in the UFC. However, the title of 'welterweight GOAT' still very much belongs to Georges St-Pierre in the eyes of most.
When discussing the current champion’s rise to prominence during an appearance on Submission Radio, CBS sports journalist Luke Thomas spoke about how Kamaru Usman is following GSP down the same path.
“He’s [Kamaru Usman] not that far from what St-Pierre did. I think we just need to say that out loud. We’re talking about a guy at welterweight who is doing absolutely incredible things and his foe, he might beat twice. He had to beat Masvidal twice. He’s got to beat a lot of these guys a couple of times because that same generation is coming through again.
“That’s exactly what St-Pierre did - generation after generation or the best guys of a generation getting a couple of tries and he had to whack-a-mole them down. If you get enough of those you begin to think, 'Wow dude, this guy is doing something very special at 170 pounds.'”
Catch Luke Thomas' appearance on Submission Radio below:
.@lthomasnews says #UFC268 is “all about legacy” for both Usman and Covington:
“This is what MMA is all about, right here” 🏆
🎥: youtu.be/Av-ZQJlS3Xk https://t.co/YfBAaUw43d
How far is Kamaru Usman from GOAT status?
Kamaru Usman has successfully defended the UFC welterweight title on four separate occasions. Georges St-Pierre did so nine times before moving up to middleweight and becoming a two-weight world champion.
At this pace, there’s every reason to believe Kamaru Usman can reach nine and perhaps even surpass it. However, there may be more to the story than that.
Kamaru Usman’s record of 14 consecutive UFC wins puts him above GSP, who managed to accumulate 13. In addition, some would argue that the dominant nature of Usman’s wins, most notably the number of finishes he’s picking up, showcases that he’s winning these bouts in a more impressive manner than St-Pierre.
Either way, this is a debate that looks set to rage for a long time to come.