It didn’t take UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman long to respond to Conor McGregor saying he’s coming after the lightweight and welterweight belts.
Usman, known as The Nigerian Nightmare, tweeted early Saturday morning that McGregor shouldn’t even dream of his welterweight belt “because that dream can turn into a Nightmare fast.”
My man @TheNotoriousMMA please just go in there and take your L from cowboy. Don’t even dream of this WW strap because that dream can turn into an Nightmare fast.
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) January 4, 2020
McGregor will headline UFC 246 against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds. Cerrone’s last four fights have been at the lightweight limit of 155 and McGregor’s last fight was a loss to lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov on Oct. 6, 2018. UFC president Dana White said McGregor and Cerrone agreed to 170 so they wouldn’t have to cut weight.
“I just feel good to be in this spot that I’m in,” McGregor told TheMacLife.com. “I don’t have to worry about the weight cut. I can focus on my skills, focus on my endurance, focus on strength and build myself. “
White said McGregor also wanted another bout at 170 — his two fights against Nate Diaz in 2016 were at welterweight — in case he wants to fight Jorge Masvidal. White said McGregor is interested in Masvidal’s BMF belt, which he won on Nov. 2 when his bout against Diaz was stopped because of cuts Masvidal opened around Diaz’s right eye.
“Yeah, I’d face Jorge. I’m not going to 170 just for Jorge. He hasn’t got really anything,” said McGregor, who didn’t think the BMF fight proved anything. “I think it’s unfinished, in my opinion, that belt is unfinished. It was only getting into a good bout, I believe. So we were robbed of rounds 4 and 5 in that bout.
“But I like that welterweight belt. I liked that welterweight title fight (when Usman beat Colby Covington on Dec. 14). I liked the look of that. I like the look of Kamaru Usman, I like the look of Colby. I’m open to it all at 170. “
McGregor also wants a rematch with Nurmagomedov, who will defend his title against top contender Tony Ferguson on April 18.
“I want the gold, I’m after the gold, 155, 170,” McGregor told TheMacLife.com. “They’re the belts I am chasing now.”
This is the fifth time Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight each other with the previous four fights falling through for a variety of reasons. McGregor said he’ll be ready to step in case No. 5 also falls through.
“It’s happened multiple times where it’s scheduled four times in a row, and now this is the fifth,” McGregor said. “For me, I’m back in my old frame of mind, I just want consistency, I want competition. It’s what I love to do. Whoever, wherever.
“I am back. I am back to who I am, and I look forward to going in and showcasing it on Jan. 18, and whoever is after that, again it does not matter. I’ll be ready. This is the beginning of my 2020 season.”
McGregor even said he could fight Justin Gaethje after Cerrone. Gaethje is the No. 4-ranked lightweight and many believe he should be first in line for the winner of Nurmagomedov-Ferguson.
As far as Nurmagomedov, McGregor said the lightweight champ is scared of a rematch.
“He’s afraid, and that’s it,” McGregor said. “Everyone wants (the rematch), the boss wants it, Dana wants it, we all want it.
“So he can run but he cannot hide. So I look forward to it. “