Professional Fighters League welterweight star Ray Cooper III has no doubt he could beat his Ultimate Fighting Championship counterpart, and current champion, Kamaru Usman in a fight.
Cooper III (23-7-1), a 2019 champion and current 2021 finalist, is at an all-time high in confidence. He’s unbeaten in his last six bouts, is the defending welterweight league champion, and is a month away from trying to earn a second straight championship following his August win over former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald. It’s no surprise then that he feels unbeatable at the moment.
In a recent interview with BJPenn.com, the idea of a cross-promotional bout with Usman came up, and the 28-year-old explained his belief on why he could defeat “The Nigerian Nightmare” in a fight that would be in the best interest of the sport.
Ray Cooper III has no doubt he can beat Kamaru Usman
“It would be huge for the sport. It would be just like boxing with the WBO fighting the IBF champs. I don’t know why they don’t do that. It’s just a measuring stick with the promotors to see who’s bigger, you know what I mean? But that would just open up so many doors for planning the fighters to fight and see who really is the best. I think I’m the best,” Cooper III said. “I feel like I would outwrestle Kamaru Usman any day of the week. Hopefully, it can get done and we can do these big super fights. Because anybody in the UFC can get it. I’m the top of them all. I’m ready and that would be awesome.”
Cooper III calls himself ‘the best wrestler there is in MMA’
“Bradda Boy” has increased his name value exponentially over three seasons in the PFL. In that time, he has been one of the dominant forces in the welterweight division. Wrecking shop with displays of the punching power that earned him six knockouts in 10 victories. However, in the Hawaiian’s mind, his wrestling is what truly separates him from the pack. And he says he showed exactly that against a highly respected fighter, and grappler in Rory MacDonald in their playoff semifinal bout last month.
“I’m not surprised by anything. I knew what [Rory’s] whole game plan was, he was going to try and wrestle me even though I’m a wrestler first and foremost. I can just punch, but I grew up wrestling and I think I’m the best wrestler there is in MMA,” said Cooper III. “So there’s nothing anybody can try to outwrestle me with. If you try, I’m gonna put you on your back and you’re gonna be there until I decide to let you up.”
Cooper III will return to action on October 27 when he faces Magomed Magomedkerimov (28-5) in the welterweight finals at the 2021 PFL Championships. The bout will be a rematch of the 2018 finals that Magomedkerimov won with a second-round submission.
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