UFC champion Kamaru Usman has been backed to accept Conor McGregor 's latest call for a title shot.
McGregor wants to move back up to welterweight and face Usman in his return to the octagon later this year. The Irishman has criticised Usman's style and sees no danger in the pound-for-pound No.1 despite his 20 fight unbeaten run.
Usman laughed off McGregor's call out and claimed he would "murder" the former two-weight champion if they fought. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has verbally agreed to defend his belt against Leon Edwards in July, but the fight isn't official.
McGregor will hope to become the first-ever three-weight champion in UFC history if he is to fight Usman and MMA analyst Chael Sonnen thinks the welterweight champion will have no choice but to accept the call out.
"Usman has no choice but to think even on an outside chance that Conor is serious and will do it, Usman will accept. Conor will now have two world champions surrounding the thing that he really wants.
"Of course the 155 pounder gets it, of course. [Charles] Oliveira's already made it clear that he wants to fight. Dana's already made it clear that he's not got a closed mind to booking the fight. That only leaves one person left, you, the pundits, the media.
McGregor had previously requested a 155lb title shot for later this year, but is seemingly open to fighting at welterweight after packing on some size. But Sonnen thinks there will be uproar if McGregor gets a title shot regardless of the weight class.
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"Conor McGregor has three very big fights to come back to is that going to be Dustin Poirier, Nate Diaz, or a world title fight against the winner of [Justin] Gaethje vs [Charles] Oliveira. Nobody can stop him from the first two, there is going to be pushback if he draws a title fight after two losses.
And Sonnen thinks McGregor's call out of Usman is an attempt to get as many current UFC champions as possible to tease a fight with him to bolster his chances of a title shot upon his return.
"Let's pull the curtain back and tell you what Conor's really doing," Sonnen continued. "You test the waters and get other world champions to sign off on it, Conor inadvertently got one the other week ago in [Alexander] Volkanovski."
