Conor McGregor has been warned to be careful what he asks for after expressing his interest in facing Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title.
The Dubliner had been expected to push for a shot at the lightweight title on his UFC return this summer, but claimed last weekend that he is now targeting a fight with the 170lbs champion.
Speaking to his MacLife Youtube channel, the former two-weight champion said: "Myself versus Usman for the 170-pound title in my comeback fight is the one I'm eyeballing at the minute.
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"Why cut the weight? I've already won the 155-pound title. I got myself to a lightweight frame, but you know, I'm big now. I feel big. I feel strong. I feel healthy. I've got good energy.
"I'm coming back from a gruesome injury. I don't want to be depleting myself. There should be no need to deplete myself.
"And I feel confident against Usman -- a jab-happy, sloppy, orthodox wrestler with no submissions whatsoever. What's he going to do? Where's the danger here? I don't see danger.
"No one has ever obtained three titles in three divisions like I will do if we make this fight."
But Joe Rogan has warned McGregor that the Nigerian is currently the "best pound-for-pound fighter alive"
He said on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast: “Now he’s talking about fighting Kamaru Usman. Be careful what you ask for. Be careful what you ask for. Usman is a big man, and he’s top of the food chain right now.”
He continued: “That’s the best pound-for-pound fighter alive, Kamaru Usman, and he’s a natural 170.
"You’ve got to remember: Conor McGregor won the title at 145 and then he went up to 155 and knocked out Eddie Alvarez and became the champ-champ.
"Then he fought at 170, but he fought ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, who is a natural 155 pounder.
"No knock on ‘Cowboy.’ ‘Cowboy’s’ beat a lot of good 170 pounders. He’s an elite fighter, but Usman’s a different thing. That’s a different peak. There’s no oxygen at the top of that mountain. That’s as good as it gets ever at 170."
“I would put Kamaru Usman up against any 170-pound fighter that’s ever lived.
"I’m not saying that he would beat Georges St-Pierre, I’m not saying he would beat all of them, but he might beat all of them.
"He might be the best that’s ever been at 170. He’s as good as they get. He’s got ferocious knockout power, he’s elite at wrestling, nobody puts him on his back."
Rogan added: “Come the f*ck on, son. (Usman is) fucking jacked. And he’s about perfect for 170 in terms of his dimensions.
"He’s just tall enough, just strong enough. … Imagine 15, like, beautiful cowboy-cut ribeyes. That’s the advantage that Usman has."
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