Kamaru Usman turned back the clock with a vintage performance in the UFC Atlanta main event.
After suffering a three-fight losing skid, Kamaru Usman‘s incredible career in the UFC seemed to be coming to an end as he sat inactive for almost two years.
Despite that, the former welterweight king returned to the Octagon this past Saturday at UFC Atlanta and put on a vintage performance against Joaquin Buckley, dominating him over five rounds, picking up the decision win.
With his win, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ snapped Buckley’s six-fight win streak and will likely remain in the top five of the welterweight division.
Usman calls for welterweight title shot following dominant display
Despite his impressive performance, only time will tell how much longer near the top of the division the 38-year-old has, as knee problems always seem to be the topic of discussion ahead of his fights.
Immediately after his win, Usman was called out by Belal Muhammad, who lost his title to Jack Della Maddalena just last month.
Muhammad and Usman have an ongoing feud, making a fight between them make perfect sense. However, Usman has a different plan and it doesn’t involve a clash against ‘Remember The Name’.
“Absolutely (I want the title shot next), like I said I only really had to use one skill tonight, and everyone knows I can knock you out with my hands but if you give me that, I’m gonna take it,” Usman said during the post-fight press conference.
“Let’s be honest, I’m the biggest in the division and this is about entertainment, the UFC is an entertainment company. You want to make the biggest fight, it’s gonna be the winner of (Della Maddalena) vs Islam (Makhachev).
“If Islam pulls that one out, the former pound-for-pound (number one) vs the current pound-for-pound number one, who doesn’t pay for that?” he continued.
Usman turns down callout from Muhammad
During the post-fight press conference, one reporter asked Usman if he would be interested in a fight against Muhammad considering the former champions callout and their ongoing feud.
“Who is it? Who’s that? Next,” Usman said.
“The guy that made you cry on your podcast,” Muhammad responded in a post on X.
Despite fan demand to see a fight between Usman and Muhammad, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’s’ goal is clearly to reclaim the welterweight strap.