Conor McGregor receives chilling message from Kamaru Usman over potential 170lb title bout

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has warned Conor McGregor he’d “die” if they were to ever face each other. A matter of hours before Usman retained his 170lb title at UFC 245 with a fifth-round knockout victory over Colby Covington, McGregor appeared to reveal his interest in facing Africa’s first UFC champion.

And shortly after Usman registered his first defence of the welterweight crown, McGregor appeared to double down on that stance.

He tweeted: “145. 155. 170.”

McGregor, of course, held titles in both the 145 and 155lb divisions and was the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously.

The prospect of a multi-million-pound showdown with ‘The Notorious’ was put to Usman during an interview with TMZ, in which he insisted he’d live up to his ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ moniker if he were to ever share the cage with Irishman.

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He added: “Much respect to Conor for what he’s done for this sport and transcended it. [But] nah, this is not what you want.

“Just sit down little man, sit down. Learn to walk before you can run because I would hurt that [Conor McGregor] guy.”

McGregor, 31, is gearing up to make his eagerly-anticipated return to the Octagon early next year.

‘The Notorious’ will be welcomed back to the cage by fellow fan favourite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246, which will take place at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile on January 18.

McGregor’s clash with Cerrone – which will take place in the welterweight division – will be his first outing since losing his UFC 229 grudge match with Nurmagomedov last October.

And following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Dubliner is hoping to return to his active ways in 2020.

After announcing his comeback fight at a press conference in Russia, McGregor said: “That will be the beginning of my season.

“Obviously, I have history with Nate Diaz, we are set to make the trilogy belt, so we will see how that goes, I feel Nate will get the better of that one, and we will contest the trilogy belt.

“Then I will seek the Moscow belt, and it will be against the winner of Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov.”

McGregor, 21-4, is adamant he’ll get the better of Nurmagomedov second time around: “I will come in sharp, fresh.

“I will have no injuries, I will have no alcohol, I will have no outside influences.

“I will be fully focused, exactly what the people deserve, exactly what the fans deserve, and we will settle it, once and for all.”

source: express.co.uk