The UFC welterweight champion and no. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the planet isn’t fazed by the criticism he’s enduring in his pursuit of a boxing match against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. In an interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Usman explained that he’s used to proving the doubters wrong. “You would think I train on how to punch people’s faces.
I put in work. I put in work each and every day, whether it’s boxing or kickboxing. We put in the time. With that time, I’m confident in my abilities. Listen, when I said, ‘Hey, Jorge Masvidal, you said you wanted a full camp, that you were going to be able to take me out with a full camp.’ I said, ‘Hey, this time I’m going to knock your head to the moon and I’m going to do it.’
Usman Fires Back at Doubters: “I sent Masvidal to the shadow realm!”
After I went out there and dealt with [Gilbert] Burns, I got him back and said, ‘Masvidal, you’re next. I’ll give you another shot, I’ll give you a full camp and I’m knocking your head to the moon this time.’ Everyone said, ‘Masvidal’s the best boxer in MMA.’ I sent him to the shadow realm. I think he’s still up there.”
Being the first – and so far, only – fighter to knock Jorge Masvidal out is one thing. Taking on the best boxer on the planet is another entirely. Usman, however, wants to test himself against the best there is, and he knows that Alvarez won’t be moving into the Octagon any time soon.
“I’m brave enough to go into your arena to do it. Can you say the same thing? None of these boxers are willing unless you’re James Toney back [in 2010] when he fought Randy Couture. These guys aren’t willing to do it.
I’m brave enough to say, ‘F*** you, I’m coming in there and I’m going to come in there and give you hell as long as I’m able to do this.’”
Comparisons to Conor McGregor’s fight against Floyd Mayweather are inevitable, but Usman says there’s a key difference.
“Let’s be honest, a lot of people knew kind of what was going to happen just because Conor was just that guy, and then you’re fighting a guy in Floyd who doesn’t get hit. I don’t care who you are. Professional boxers just won’t hit him.”
As for his own situation: “When you have the pound-for-pound boxer on the planet at the moment where he’s going to stand there, he’s going to bang, he’s going to fight.
He’s coming in there to hurt you. Then you’ve got the pound-for-pound fighter on the planet around the same weight class that can actually do it and both be in their prime? You’ve never had that.” Do you think we’ll get to see Usman vs Alvarez? Let us know in the comments.
