UFC welterweight Vicente Luque has made no secret of his dream of UFC gold. Neither, of late, has former two-division champion Conor McGregor, who is in a far stronger negotiating position than just about anyone on the UFC’s roster.
McGregor has flip-flopped recently between skipping the queue at lightweight to take on Charles Oliveira, or to do the same trick at welterweight for a chance at fighting Kamaru Usman.
Luque: Usman Finishes McGregor
Vicente Luque told John Hyon Ko that’s not a great idea. “McGregor, all that I would see on him right now is that he has great timing. So he’s able to time guys really well. He could hit Kamaru with something clean and maybe get a win. But other than that, I think Kamaru goes in there and dominates him and possibly, probably finishes him.”
Conor McGregor’s record of late has been abysmal. He fought twice in 2021, losing to Dustin Poirier both times. The second fight saw Conor McGregor break his leg, and the Irish superstar has spent the intervening time recovering. McGregor is forecasting a return to combat in the summer.
The question is whether that timeline works for Kamaru Usman, who is likely to face Leon Edwards in a long-awaited rematch sometime around mid-year.
Vicente Luque also pointed out that Conor McGregor’s strength has always been early finishes. Of his two wins at welterweight, one was a decision victory over Nate Diaz, the other a first-round knockout win over Cowboy Cerrone.
“Especially because McGregor doesn’t do well in five-rounders. His rhythm goes down, he just doesn’t look as good in the fourth and the fifth as he does in the rest of the fight. And Kamaru, man, he looks even better in the fifth round than he does in the first.
So unless McGregor catches him with something crazy and Kamaru can take a shot. I’ve seen him get hit in some fights clean and he doesn’t even wobble. So unless something crazy happens, I see a win for Kamaru, a dominant win for sure.”
Kamaru Usman’s suffocating wrestling-oriented style has been supplemented in recent years by vicious, efficient striking. Usman knocked Jorge Masvidal out in the second round of their rematch last year, and would likely attempt a similar feat against McGregor should they face off.
Would you want to see McGregor fight Usman, and how do you think it would end? Could Conor claim another UFC title, or is Usman simply too good? Let us know in the comments.
