There’s been a new trend on Twitter, where the MMA community has been asked to share their version of the iconic Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston photo. And former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo have jumped in on it.
Ali knocked Liston out on May 25, 1965. On that night, photographers John Rooney of the Associated Press and Neil Leifer of Sports Illustrated managed to snap similar pictures of Ali towering in triumph above a floored Liston.
While it’s an iconic image and no amount of replication can do justice to it, Usman and Cejudo have tried. On their Pound4Pound podcast, the duo started with a picture of Max Holloway flexing in the middle of the ring after his ruthless KO against Justin Gaethje within just one second to spare at UFC 300.
What’s the greatest UFC photo of all time? pic.twitter.com/PKNnAPNwR8
— Pound 4 Pound (@pound4poundshow) November 22, 2024
But the photo that really caught their attention was Nate Diaz with a bloodied face talking trash to a camera after beating Conor McGregor. Cejudo, rather enthused by it asked Usman for his take on it.
“That is an iconic kind of picture dude, you know what I’m saying.”
Usman agreed that the picture was iconic and reminded him it was after he had choked out Conor McGregor.
But they missed out on possibly the coldest photo of them all-Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida. ‘Bones’ put his opponent to sleep using a standing guillotine then just walked away.
https://t.co/rJeKifVBit pic.twitter.com/FJsWietBTl
— dav (@davguev) November 18, 2024
As entertaining as this was, it was nothing compared to how much the pair wanted to talk about Jake Paul.
Usman and Cejudo praise ‘cash cow’ Paul
Usman and Cejudo had nothing but praise for ‘The Problem Child’ following his boxing event against Mike Tyson. The YouTuber turned boxer broke several viewership and gate records, also earning millions in the process.
Cejudo, impressed with Pauk’s perceived stardom spoke about how everyone wants and said,
“Jake Paul has become the fighter right now that everybody wants to fight because right now he is the cash cow.”
Usman then chimed in and spoke about how marketable The Problem Child was, and how he has sold his fights very early on in his career.
To put it in perspective, Usman gave the example of Terence Crawford and stated how no one remembered who he fought in his 11th fight. But no matter who Paul fights next people will tune in to watch.
Since his fight with Tyson, Paul has been getting called out by champions like Artur Beterbiev as well. So you never know, that elusive Canelo Alvarez fight he’s after, might just come true after all. And that would break every boxing record possible!
