‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ disagrees with how some have reacted to Conor McGregor’s failed comeback.
After the UFC 329 numbered event, Kamaru Usman will headline UFC Oklahoma this Saturday in a middleweight contest against Dricus du Plessis.
That clash of former champions won’t have to do much to surpass the most recent main event, which ended in just 69 seconds after McGregor injured his knee against Max Holloway.
The Irishman is a polarizing and controversial figure, so many have been unsympathetic about how his first fight in five years played out.
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Kamaru Usman ‘feels for’ Conor McGregor after ‘worst thing that could have happened’ at UFC 329
The International Fight Week event in Las Vegas marked McGregor’s return from a lengthy layoff, having been on the sidelines ever since the broken leg he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
A different injury spoiled the Irishman’s latest attempt to add only a second win to his record since becoming a two-division UFC champion in 2016.
Given his litany of controversies away from the Octagon, some saw the UFC 329 setback as karmic justice and mocked ‘The Notorious’.
There was none of that from Usman ahead of his own return to the cage, as he instead showed sympathy for his fellow ex-UFC titleholder.
“I saw a lot of the backlash online and kind of how people were going at him,” Usman said during an interview with Paramount ahead of his return on July 18.
“It’s a tough thing to do and I remember watching at home and going, ‘This could either go really well or really bad. There is no in between.’ I could kind of feel Conor’s spirit as he was warming up backstage. And then he comes out and that happens.
“It’s about the worst that could’ve happened,” he continued. “So, I definitely felt for him because it’s a dark place to be.”
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Usman’s supportive remarks come despite his history with the first-ever simultaneous UFC double champ.
After he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in 2021, Usman came under fire from McGregor, who vowed to “smack” the welterweight legend for “copying” his combination.
And just this year, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ attempted to throw his name into the hat to welcome the Dublin native back to action.