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UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has weighed in on who he charges as the best MMA fighters of all time.
Usman, who’s ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound by USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie, fighter sat down with ESPN and named 4 fighters who make his reduce – one in his weight class.
Usman will proceed to try to safe his personal legacy by notching his sixth title protection Saturday when he rematches Leon Edwards within the UFC 278 predominant occasion at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis. The principle card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Try Usman’s checklist beneath, which he picked based mostly on ability and method.
Anderson Silva
UFC fighter Anderson Silva (proper) celebrates after defeating Chael Sonnen throughout a middleweight bout in UFC 148 on the MGM Grand Backyard Area. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities
Anderson Silva defended his UFC middleweight title 10 occasions, second solely to Demetrious Johnson for many title defenses in UFC historical past. “The Spider” thrilled followers with iconic knockouts, and his 16-0 begin within the octagon is the perfect in promotion’s historical past. Usman can tie that document if he will get previous Edwards at UFC 278.
Jon Jones
Apart from a disqualification for an unlawful elbow in a struggle he was dominating, Jon Jones has by no means misplaced in his profession. Jones reigned over the UFC’s gentle heavyweight division for a decade, however hassle exterior the octagon pressured him to get stripped of his title a number of occasions. He defended his title eight occasions in his first reign and thrice in his second earlier than vacating his belt in August 2020. “Bones” is trying to chase additional greatness by shifting as much as heavyweight however is but to make his divisional debut.
Georges St-Pierre
UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre celebrates with the champions belt after defeating B.J. Penn (not pictured) throughout the welterweight championship in UFC 94 on the MGM Grand Resort and On line casino. St-Pierre defeated Penn with a fourth spherical TKO. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities
Georges St-Pierre is broadly thought of the best welterweight of all time. Usman is chasing the Canadian Corridor of Famer and has already been dubbed because the No. 1 170-pounder of all time by UFC president Dana White.
St-Pierre defended his welterweight title 9 occasions earlier than deciding to retire in 2013. He returned after a four-year absence to dethrone then-middleweight champion Michael Bisping at UFC 217 and be a part of a choose few to carry titles in two weight lessons.
Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz
Maybe no champion has handled extra adversity than Dominick Cruz. Enduring an injury-ridden profession, Cruz was instrumental in constructing the bantamweight division. He was pressured to vacate his UFC bantamweight belt after simply two title defenses as a consequence of reoccurring accidents, which pressured him out of motion for nearly three years.
His return in 2014 was flawless when he ran by Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178. Then, in maybe his biggest profession second, Cruz returned from one other harm to dethrone T.J. Dillashaw in 2016, regaining the title he by no means misplaced. Nevertheless, his reign would come to an finish by the hands of Cody Garbrandt later that yr, and Cruz has seen blended outcomes ever since.
