Former UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman earned his first win at 170 lbs in nearly four years.
For the first time since November 2021, former UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman left the Octagon with a victory at UFC Atlanta. Usman put on a vintage performance as he outpointed the red-hot Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision in Saturday’s main event.
It had been a long time coming for Usman, who lost three consecutive fights since defeating Colby Covington in their UFC 268 rematch. Usman’s losing skid included an infamous head-kick knockout defeat to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 to bring his welterweight title reign to a screeching halt.
After getting the win at UFC Atlanta, Usman is right back in the welterweight title mix and could potentially earn a title shot for his next Octagon booking. But Usman dealt with several pre-fight hurdles ahead of UFC Atlanta, as he hinted at during his post-fight press conference.
Kamaru Usman’s UFC Atlanta victory draws high praise from former heavyweight champion
While Usman didn’t go into full details about the various obstacles he dealt with ahead of UFC Atlanta, he hinted at several health and personal life issues that impacted his training camp. But that didn’t stop the former UFC welterweight champion from stopping Buckley’s voluminous ascent in the division.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou accompanied Usman throughout fight week, including at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in. After watching his close friend’s bounceback win in the Octagon, Ngannou drew inspiration as he prepares for his combat sports return.
In a recent post to X, Ngannou reacted to Usman’s victory at UFC Atlanta.
“Congrats to my brother [Kamaru] for his amazing victory last night. It’s inspiring to see him do that after all he’s been through lately,” Ngannou said of Usman.
“Congrats to [Joaquin] on his impressive performance. That round 5!”
Buckley’s loss at UFC Atlanta snapped a six-fight winning streak, including recent wins over former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Covington. UFC Atlanta was the first time in Buckley’s promotional tenure that the talented welterweight fought five full rounds.
As for what’s next for Usman, the former welterweight titleholder wants a shot at the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, the next expected welterweight title fight. But Usman heard from a familiar foe after his performance at UFC Atlanta that might make sense for a return opponent.
Kamaru Usman issued a cold response to Belal Muhammad’s social media callout
Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, despite his ongoing feud with Usman, credited the UFC Atlanta victor for his performance. Muhammad directed a veiled callout at Usman online, to which Usman dismissed during his post-fight press conference.
Muhammad lost the UFC welterweight title to Maddalena last month at UFC 315 by unanimous decision in what was his first title defense. He earned the belt by defeating Usman’s three-time rival, Edwards, at UFC 304 last July.
Muhammad and Usman have traded barbs for months and got into an alleged podcast altercation while filming an episode of Usman’s show with Henry Cejudo. Their bad blood has boiled in recent weeks, leading to a potential showdown between the two welterweight stars.