UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman reminds Aljamain Sterling of a prime Jon Jones as he prepares for his highly-anticipated rematch with Leon Edwards.
The 'Nigerian Nightmare' is weeks away from defending his 170lb belt against the unfancied Edwards in the main event of UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
Usman, 35, has a record of 14-0 in the UFC, and has successfully defended his welterweight title on five occasions.
Since winning the belt against Tyron Woodley in 2019, Usman has defeated Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington twice and Jorge Masvidal twice.
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Usman has also beaten ex-UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, 37, as well as former UFC rivals Demian Maia, 44, and Sean Strickland, 31.
He remains undefeated in the UFC and holds a career record of 20-1 overall in MMA.
Indeed, Sterling says it's only right to include him in the same conversation as Jones, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson, such is his body of work.
Kamaru Usman is the current UFC welterweight champion
He told The Schmo: "You have to put him in the conversation of GOAT, I think so.
"He's starting to lap these guys and he's putting these guys away. It's not like he's just going out there eking out finishes.
"Kind of reminds me of Jon Jones in his prime what he was doing to guys, running through the competition.
"So I think he's up there with [Anderson] Silva, GSP [Georges St-Pierre], [Jon] Jones, and Mighty Mouse [Demetrious Johnson]."
His words echo those of UFC president Dana White, who also recently commented on the subject after pointing out the fact that Usman is only one win away from tying Silva's record for the longest winning streak in UFC history.
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He told reporters: “I still consider Jon Jones [as the greatest].
“It’s time to start talking about Kamaru Usman. He’s one fight away from tying Anderson Silva. He already beat Jon Jones and GSP [Georges St-Pierre].
“In his next fight, if he beats Leon Edwards, he ties Anderson Silva. So yeah, he’s in the discussion.”