Kamaru Usman (image via UFC / Twitter)

By FCF Staff

As Conor McGregor continues to prepare for a welterweight fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 303, Kamaru Usman’s claiming the star had two chances to fight him for that division’s title.

McGregor is scheduled to fight Chandler at the June 29th event, in what will be his first fight since 2021, when he broke his leg in a bout with Dustin Poirier.

During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman weighed in on comments McGregor made about him. The outspoken fighter reportedly called Usman a “bum. While doing so, the former welterweight champ claimed he offered McGregor a couple of opportunities to face him during his reign (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“If you wanted the opportunity to fight me, I gave Conor two opportunities to fight me,” Usman said. “Two opportunities, while I was champion. I gave him two opportunities to fight me. I told him, ‘Hey, if you want a crack at that third belt, who better?’ I was on the run that I was on, who better that he could come up and fight. He talked about it, he bounced back and forth, when he wanted to make his return he said, ‘Yeah, maybe I’ll go up and grab the third belt.’

“It is what it is, Conor. If you wanted to fight, you had your opportunity, but you didn’t. So to call me a bum is kind of disrespectful and I didn’t disrespect you when you were having your troubles, so I think it’s sometimes easier and it’s better-well, it’s not easier-it’s better that you put that whisky bottle down and actually come back to your wits and be a good father and a good role model.”

Usman (20-4) held the UFC’s welterweight title from March, 2019 until August, 2022, when he was KO’d by current champ, Leon Edwards. The now 37-year-old fighter defend the title five times.

UFC 303 will be hosted by the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.