"That's the best pound-for-pound fighter alive" - When Joe Rogan warned Conor McGregor against calling out a then-undefeated UFC champion

Conor McGregor, who is known for his unfiltered nature, was warned by Joe Rogan for calling out a former champion in the past. Rogan stated that it could be a horrible decision for McGregor, given how difficult the matchup was.

McGregor hasn't featured in any UFC competitions since breaking his leg in the opening round of his bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. A year later, during his recovery period, the Irish superstar spoke to TheMacLife and expressed the desire to challenge Kamaru Usman, who held the welterweight throne at the time, saying:

''I believe versus Usman for the 170-pound title for my comeback is the one I’m eyeballing at the minute...I feel big, I feel strong, I feel healthy, I’ve got good energy...And I feel confident against Usman.'' [H/t: MMA Fighting]

Check out Conor McGregor's full comments below:

Rogan took notice of McGregor's remarks and cautioned him of the dire consequences of a potential fight with Usman, who was coming off five successful title defenses after capturing the throne from Tyron Woodley at UFC 235.

In an earlier episode of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator said:

''Now he’s talking about fighting Kamaru Usman. Be careful what you ask for. Usman is a big man and he’s top of the food chain right now. That’s the best pound-for-pound fighter alive.'' [H/t: MMA Fighting]

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Since then, everyone has been waiting for McGregor's comeback, which was scheduled against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. However, a toe injury forced 'The Notorious' to withdraw from the matchup.

Meanwhile, Usman faced Leon Edwards in his sixth title defense at UFC 278. The 'Nigerian Nightmare' got knocked out by a devastating head kick in the last round, losing his belt in the process. He was unsuccessful in reclaiming his title after losing via majority decision in his trilogy matchup against Edwards at UFC 286.

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When Kamaru Usman accused Conor McGregor of turning down fights with him

Last year, Conor McGregor issued harsh comments at Kamaru Usman during a live Q&A. That infuriated Usman, who claimed in an episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, that McGregor declined to face him twice during the former champion's welterweight title reign.

Usman said:

''If you wanted the opportunity to fight me, I gave Conor two opportunities to fight me. Two opportunities, while I was champion. I gave him two opportunities to fight me. It is what it is, Conor. If you wanted to fight, you had your opportunity, but you didn’t. So to call me a b*m is kind of disrespectful'' [H/t: MMA Fighting]

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