After months of silence, Kamaru Usman, once the king of the welterweight division, is finally set to return! His opponent? A hungry contender named Joaquin Buckley who is charging forward with nothing but gold in his sights. UFC CEO Dana White lit the fuse with his announcement on social media that the two welterweights will be headlining the UFC Fight Night event in Atlanta on June 14th.
A clash between a former champion searching for his old fire and a surging contender eager to seize the throne. That’s a recipe for fireworks inside the Octagon. Now, the two men have laid out their statements, and while the former champion is eager to get back to action, Buckley wants something more. Something bigger. And he’s determined to make sure Dana White and Hunter Campbell can’t ignore his demands anymore!
Joaquin Buckley puts Dana White on notice as Kamaru Usman comes out of his “sabbatical” for a welterweight clash
Joaquin Buckley wasted no time making his intentions loud and clear. With the ink barely dry on the contract, the St. Louis powerhouse posted a bold message on Instagram with a caption that read, “Man so thankful for the opportunity, I can’t wait to Show Up And Show Out @ufc #TakeTheThrone #BrickByBrick.”
But he didn’t stop there. In the video for the post, that felt more like a war cry than a promo, Buckley declared, “What’s up guys, y’all already heard the big news, Dana White just announced it. June 14th, man I’m fighting Kamaru Usman.” His voice was filled with energy, his eyes burning with belief.
And then came the challenge—the line that turned heads. “Once I knock that man out, there’s no argument, bro, I’m next for that title shot.” No hesitation. No doubt. Just a bold claim tossed into the MMA cosmos, daring the UFC brass to question him!
Buckley, now riding a six-fight win streak since moving down to welterweight in 2023, is no stranger to bold moves. After all, he’s the man who folded Colby Covington with a thunderous TKO in his last fight. But facing Usman? That’s another beast entirely.
Still, Buckley grinned and gave a nod to the matchmakers, adding, “I wanna thank the UFC, TKO, Dana White… but especially Hunter Campbell. I don’t know what you said to this man, he ain’t got no knees, make him sign this contract, but my man signed on.”
On the other side of the battleground, Kamaru Usman chose a different tune. On the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with Henry Cejudo, the former champion kept things short and focused.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ stated, “I’m tired of all the talking. I had to take a little bit of sabbatical, but now I’m back from that sabbatical. You heard it right. Your boy is back.” His co-host, ‘Triple-C’, ever the fire starter, poked at Buckley by asking, “Joaquin Buckley? Really? Really? You’re fighting Buck Dog.” But he confessed, “Five rounds does benefit you.”
Usman peeled back the curtain a little more as he added, “It’s a great fight. He’s very aggressive. He’s strong. He’s athletic. And I like that. You know, every now and again, that warrior spirit, you need to exercise it.”
A glimpse into a man not just chasing victory, but something deeper—perhaps redemption. And redemption, it seems, isn’t a lonely road. It’s one Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Henry Cejudo are walking together.
Henry Cejudo reminds Usman and ‘The Last Stylebender’ of the brutal nature of the fight game
Appearing recently on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, ‘The Last Stylebender’ joined Usman and Cejudo, two fellow kings now grappling with the same cruel truth—time spares no one.
As Usman tried to lay out their shared struggle, Adesanya jumped in, reminding everyone, “We are champions! Come on. Triple C over there, triple champ. Come on.” ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, with a smile, admitted the obvious as he continued by sharing, “We’re all kind of in a similar position right now. We’ve been there, we’ve done that, we bought the T-shirt.”
It was raw. It was real. And it struck a chord. But Cejudo couldn’t resist adding his own jab, laughing, “We’re all 0-3.” The room erupted in laughter, but beneath the jokes, the message was clear. The three champions are now faced with a crossroads: hang up their gloves forever, or try to recapture the glory once more.
As such, when Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley collide in Atlanta, it won’t be just a clash of fists. Buckley, the fearless challenger, is storming the gates with fire in his veins and destiny on his mind. Usman, the seasoned warrior, is stepping back into the arena not just to fight, but to reclaim a piece of himself lost along the way.
Both men have something to prove. Both have something to lose. Will Joaquin Buckley’s bold prophecy come true, or will the old lion remind the world why he once ruled the welterweight jungle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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