UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman lost his second pro fight, in 2014, and has won 17 straight fights since, 13 of them in the UFC, plus two TUF exhibition bouts. Prior to Saturday’s main event win over Gilbert Usman, his third title defense, this was the Pound for Pound rankings:
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
2. Jon Jones
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Kamaru Usman
At the UFC 258 post-fight press conference, Usman argued he should be higher up the P4P list.
That pound-for-pound list is not a popularity contest, you know? I haven’t really lost rounds in here – I control what goes on inside the cage, said Usman, as transcribed by Tristen Critchfield for Sherdog. Just because I’m not the loudest guy in the room, I’m not the most braggadocious, I don’t get in trouble outside [the Octagon], I’m not in headlines all the time.
Let’s be honest, they kind of disrespect me in a sense. That pound-for-pound list is not a popularity contest. I need to move up on that list.
On Saturday, Usman broke welterweight GOAT Georges St-Pierre‘s record 12 straight wins in the division (GSP won 13 fights in a row, but the final was in another division – he beat Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt). It’s a fight that interests “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
Of course, I would like Georges,” he said. “But I don’t want Georges because of money or anything like that. Like I said, I’m a competitor. I want Georges because Georges left on top. Georges can still do it. I see him training. Georges, I’m watching you. I see you training. Georges can still do it.
So, if there’s potential for that big fight and Georges wants to come back, then of course, Georges can cut the line, absolutely. But I’m not necessarily worried about a big-money fight. Right now, I’m just worried about the next guy, and that’s what I do. I knock off the next guy and I knock off the next guy, then you guys look back and say, ‘S***! He’s beaten everybody!’ That’s what I’m focused on.
The Top 15 rankings will be updated this week, and could see Usman move up. UG, where do you think he belongs today? Above Miocic? Above Adesanya?
