It’s go big or go home for UFC’s Kamaru Usman.
A top-2 welterweight of all time, the former UFC Champion is gearing up for his return to the Octagon following the longest layoff and the worst losing skid of his career.
Kamaru Usman hasn’t been in the win column in nearly four years, having his welterweight title and pound-for-pound #1 status taken away by longtime rival Leon Edwards by headkick KO in 2022.
What followed for Usman were back-to-back decision defeats in his title rematch with Edwards and his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev, which came on 9 days notice at UFC 294 in 2023.
One of the most active champions in recent memory, we haven’t seen Usman compete since, with his long-awaited return finally confirmed for this summer.
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Joaquin Buckley to welcome back Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta
Usman, who turns 38 in May, is slated to go five rounds in his first fight in 18 months.
His opponent? #6 UFC Welterweight Joaquin Buckley, who’s been on an absolute tear since moving down from the middleweight division.
On Friday, UFC CEO Dana White announced on his Instagram Live that Usman vs. Buckley would serve as the main event of a UFC Fight Night event in Atlanta, Georgia on June 14th.
UFC Atlanta will take place from the State Farm Arena, co-headlined by a flyweight matchup between former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Miranda Maverick.
The 30-year-old Buckley is one of the newer contenders to emerge at 170lbs alongside Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Machado Garry and Jack Della Maddalena.
Buckley’s 6-0 in the welterweight division, taking out several perennial contenders such as Vicente Luque, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and most recently Colby Covington, arguably Usman’s greatest rival.
Explosive as they come, Buckley proved how dangerous he was last October by becoming the second man in UFC history to knock out Thompson, one of the UFC’s all-time best strikers.
Buckley also has one of MMA’s best knockouts, landing a spinning back kick in mid-air to sleep Impa Kasanganay after he caught his initial kick.
Joaquin Buckley’s epic call-out of Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman was one of three names Joaquin Buckley asked for following his impressive doctor stoppage TKO of Covington in December.
After bloodying the former interim champion, Buckley got on the microphone and let the fans decide who they wanted to see him fight next.
“I’m gonna give y’all three names, the one you make the most noise for, that’s who I’m gonna pick for my next opponent,” Buckley said in his post-fight interview at UFC Tampa.
Buckley called out Edwards, Usman as well as the current champion Belal Muhammad, who got the least reception.
Between Edwards and Usman, the crowd had a louder pop for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ with the UFC brass ultimately moving forward on that front. That’s one way to get yourself a fight.
A win here could potentially land either fighter a title opportunity against Belal Muhammad.