Jake Paul brutally mocked Kamaru Usman’s plan to box Canelo Alvarez after devastating UFC title loss

Jake Paul enjoyed seeing Leon Edwards connect with a devastating head kick against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

Usman enjoyed a lengthy and dominant welterweight title reign, successfully defending the belt five times after dethroning Tyron Woodley in 2019.

But his rule came to an emphatic conclusion in August 2022, when Leon Edwards knocked Usman out with a kick to complete a remarkable comeback and upset the odds in a major way.

The result did more than just end Usman’s stint as champion. It also firmly shut down all talk of possible boxing crossovers, which included an ambitious callout of Canelo Alvarez.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Jake Paul enjoyed seeing Kamaru Usman’s UFC reign come to a crashing end

While known for his wrestling, Usman brutally stopped Jorge Masvidal in April 2021 to show the power in his hands. And ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ wasn’t short on confidence when it came to striking.

In fact, Usman even suggested he could pull off an almighty upset in the ring by knocking out the legendary Canelo. The UFC star was the latest looking to follow in Conor McGregor’s footsteps by securing a high-profile crossover fight in the ring.

The then-welterweight champ’s claim got plenty of pushback at the time, and it came back to haunt Usman after he was rendered unconscious by Edwards.

Among those quick to mock ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was Jake Paul, who had already had his attempts to entice Usman into a boxing match firmly shut down.

In a number of tweets, ‘The Problem Child’ made fun of Usman’s knockout loss and referenced his past callouts of the first and only boxer in history to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.

“LOLOLOLLOL,” Paul wrote. “‘Let me fight Canelo’ @USMAN84kg”

Kamaru Usman hasn’t won in four years ahead of UFC Atlanta return

In the four years since Usman’s knockout loss to Edwards, the 38-year-old is yet to have his hand raised again.

After a narrow decision defeat in the pair’s championship trilogy fight in 2023, Usman faced Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 and was unable to hand ‘Borz his first career loss in their short-notice middleweight matchup.

The winless period has left many suggesting that Usman is past his best. But ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ will soon have the chance to prove he can still compete with the best.

Usman is set to headline this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Atlanta against charging welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley.

‘New Mansa’ is hoping to elevate himself into the title picture at Usman’s expense, but the former champion will likely have something to say about that at State Farm Arena.