Latest news with #KamaruUsman
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kamaru Usman fights back tears after beating Joaquin Buckley to earn first UFC win since 2021
Kamaru Usman fought back tears on Saturday after overcoming Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta, a result that marked his first UFC win since 2021. Usman, who retained the welterweight title five times during a three-year reign, used his wrestling prowess to dominate Buckley for four rounds, before surviving a fifth-round scare to earn a unanimous-decision win. Advertisement The scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in Usman's favour, as the Nigerian-American snapped a three-fight losing streak. In doing so, he also broke Buckley's six-fight winning run. Usman had last scored a victory in November 2021, outpointing old rival Colby Covington in his final successful title defence. Then, in August 2022, he was en route to a comfortable decision win over Leon Edwards before succumbing to a dramatic, late knockout. Usman, who previously outpointed Edwards in 2015, lost their trilogy bout on points in 2023, failing to regain the 170lb title. Then, in October 2023, he stepped in to face the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. In what was Usman's middleweight debut, he performed admirably but lost via decision. Usman, 38, returned to welterweight to face the in-form Buckley on Saturday (14 June), where he defied his doubters with an impressive performance, which gave way to an emotional post-fight interview. Advertisement 'It feels good,' he said in the cage. 'It's been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (Getty Images) 'That's what I did tonight. I expected him to be really, really tough, which he was. I know what it takes to work and get up in here. Thank you to him for bringing everything that he brought. 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***: 'Oh, his knees, his knees [are done]!' Well, shut the f*** up. I can still do what I do. The rest of the welterweight division, listen: I have been and always will be the f*****g boogeyman.' Advertisement 'I can do that to anybody, any one of them. Those knockouts will come, I just needed this monkey off my back. Next one, whoever it is for that title, I'll see about you.' An emotional Usman also referenced his daughter's absence from the Fight Night, saying: 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions. 'Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.' Jaoquin Buckley must go back to the drawing board (Getty) Jack Della Maddalena, the reigning welterweight champion, is due to defend the belt later this year against Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated the lightweight strap. 'JDM' won the belt in May by outpointing Belal Muhammad, who is now calling for a fight with Usman, but the 'Nigerian Nightmare' has insisted he only wants a title shot next.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Israel Adesanya ‘not a real fighter', says Joaquin Buckley after detailing run-in with UFC star
Joaquin Buckley has accused Israel Adesanya of not being a 'real fighter', after the UFC stars offered their respective accounts on a run-in between them. After Buckley suffered a one-sided decision loss to Kamaru Usman on Saturday (14 June), the latter's friend Adesanya hit out at Buckley, saying on his YouTube channel: 'I hate [him], bro. I don't even use the word 'hate' lightly, but I hate [him], bro. Advertisement 'Something about him just f*****g annoys me. The coolest thing about him is that kick [Buckley's 2020 knockout of Impa Kasanganay]. I respect that.' Then, describing a moment in which he met Buckley at the UFC Performance Institute, the former two-time middleweight champion said: 'Literally, I'm just trying to chill, talk. [He says:] 'Hey, man, we've gotta get this going, duh duh duh duh duh duh,' like he's rapping. 'Every single time. He's just so f*****g annoying. At one point, I literally walked away while he was talking... and I think he didn't like that, so he went against me since then. But f*** the dude. Maybe I'm a hater, bro, maybe I'm just a hater.' Welterweight Buckley then used his own YouTube channel to fire back at Adesanya, saying on Thursday (19 June): 'He knows what it is to take an L, but to say that you hate a motherf***** and you're glad that they lost, you're glad that they didn't achieve their dreams is wild to me, bro. Advertisement 'Like, bro, why the f*** you mad at me? What the f*** did I do to you? I kind of find it funny that you're hating on me, you need to be hating on the motherf****** that took your belt. Jaoquin Buckley must go back to the drawing board after losing to Kamaru Usman (Getty) 'He's trying to be funny, he's trying to use his platform to talk s*** on me, but that really just shows me the potential of my name, and how big I'm becoming. Just like when I met his ass at the [Performance Institute], and I ran up on him and was like, 'Hey, bro, I think we'd be a good-ass fight, [Adesanya] was quiet at the time. 'But see, I'm man enough to come up to your face. Tell me how you feel to my face, bro [...] You're all underneath the covers like: 'Man, I hate that [guy].' You ain't no real fighter. You want to be a little pretty boy.' Advertisement American Buckley, 31, appeared to be closing in on a welterweight title shot before his loss to Usman, a former champion in the division. Meanwhile, Adesanya, 35, finds himself in the unusual position of riding a three-fight losing streak. After regaining the middleweight title from old rival Alex Pereira in April 2023, the 'Last Stylebender' lost the belt to Sean Strickland that September. Then, last August, Adesanya suffered a submission loss to Strickland's successor Dricus Du Plessis. The Nigerian-born New Zealander attempted to bounce back against Nassourdine Imavov in February, but he was stopped in round two. Israel Adesanya (right) during his 2024 loss to Dricus Du Plessis (Getty Images) Adesanya's first reign with the belt lasted three years and featured five successful title defences, with those same numbers applying to Usman's welterweight title run. Advertisement After surviving a difficult fifth round to outpoint Buckley, Usman, who had employed his trademark wrestling impressively in the first four frames, held back tears in the cage. 'It's been a while,' he said. 'I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience. 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions. Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.'
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Israel Adesanya ‘not a real fighter', says Joaquin Buckley after detailing run-in with UFC star
Joaquin Buckley has accused Israel Adesanya of not being a 'real fighter', after the UFC stars offered their respective accounts on a run-in between them. After Buckley suffered a one-sided decision loss to Kamaru Usman on Saturday (14 June), the latter's friend Adesanya hit out at Buckley, saying on his YouTube channel: 'I hate [him], bro. I don't even use the word 'hate' lightly, but I hate [him], bro. 'Something about him just f*****g annoys me. The coolest thing about him is that kick [Buckley's 2020 knockout of Impa Kasanganay]. I respect that.' Then, describing a moment in which he met Buckley at the UFC Performance Institute, the former two-time middleweight champion said: 'Literally, I'm just trying to chill, talk. [He says:] 'Hey, man, we've gotta get this going, duh duh duh duh duh duh,' like he's rapping. 'Every single time. He's just so f*****g annoying. At one point, I literally walked away while he was talking... and I think he didn't like that, so he went against me since then. But f*** the dude. Maybe I'm a hater, bro, maybe I'm just a hater.' Welterweight Buckley then used his own YouTube channel to fire back at Adesanya, saying on Thursday (19 June): 'He knows what it is to take an L, but to say that you hate a motherf***** and you're glad that they lost, you're glad that they didn't achieve their dreams is wild to me, bro. 'Like, bro, why the f*** you mad at me? What the f*** did I do to you? I kind of find it funny that you're hating on me, you need to be hating on the motherf****** that took your belt. 'He's trying to be funny, he's trying to use his platform to talk s*** on me, but that really just shows me the potential of my name, and how big I'm becoming. Just like when I met his ass at the [Performance Institute], and I ran up on him and was like, 'Hey, bro, I think we'd be a good-ass fight, [Adesanya] was quiet at the time. 'But see, I'm man enough to come up to your face. Tell me how you feel to my face, bro [...] You're all underneath the covers like: 'Man, I hate that [guy].' You ain't no real fighter. You want to be a little pretty boy.' American Buckley, 31, appeared to be closing in on a welterweight title shot before his loss to Usman, a former champion in the division. Meanwhile, Adesanya, 35, finds himself in the unusual position of riding a three-fight losing streak. After regaining the middleweight title from old rival Alex Pereira in April 2023, the 'Last Stylebender' lost the belt to Sean Strickland that September. Then, last August, Adesanya suffered a submission loss to Strickland's successor Dricus Du Plessis. The Nigerian-born New Zealander attempted to bounce back against Nassourdine Imavov in February, but he was stopped in round two. Adesanya's first reign with the belt lasted three years and featured five successful title defences, with those same numbers applying to Usman's welterweight title run. After surviving a difficult fifth round to outpoint Buckley, Usman, who had employed his trademark wrestling impressively in the first four frames, held back tears in the cage. 'It's been a while,' he said. 'I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience. 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions. Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.'
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kamaru Usman Wants Dricus Du Plessis in Historic Africa vs. Africa Showdown
Kamaru Usman Wants Dricus Du Plessis in Historic Africa vs. Africa Showdown originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Dricus Du Plessis is back in the gym, locked in and laser-focused as he preps for his headline war against the ever-dangerous Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 this August. The South African warrior isn't just tuning up for another bout — he's igniting waves across the division. Whispers are already circulating after a standout from UFC Atlanta made it clear: he's watching, he's waiting, and he wants next. Advertisement Kamaru Usman, the 'Nigerian Nightmare,' reminded everyone why his name still carries weight. At UFC Atlanta, he turned back the clock with a commanding unanimous decision over Joaquin Buckley. Dricus du PlessisJeff Bottari-GettyImages It wasn't just a win — it was a statement. His first victory since 2022 and a much-needed rebound after a tough skid, including his last outing against Chimaev at UFC 294. Speaking to TMZ Sports in a video that Red Corner MMA quickly amplified, Usman dropped a bombshell: 'After getting the welterweight belt, they [UFC] have asked and waited years for me to go up and get the middleweight belt. I will relinquish that if Dricus Du Plessis is still the champion — all-African card. Africa vs. Africa, first card in Africa. UFC is close to getting that done. South Africa vs. Nigeria — it's a rivalry that's been built forever.' 'If things start to fall in line, I think we're gonna see a pretty interesting next 18 months.' Dana White, never shy about global ambitions, told Sports Business Journal: 'I'm looking to go into Africa for the first time. We have a champion from South Africa… I'm looking to go everywhere, everywhere on this planet we're going to end up doing a live event.' Kamaru UsmanGetty Images A Du Plessis vs. Usman matchup? That's not just fireworks — that's a global moment in the making. Two African titans, one historic card. The world will be watching. Advertisement Related: Ben Askren: New Update Reveals Emotional Details on UFC Veteran's Ongoing Health Battle Related: UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Set to Face Fastest-Rising Middleweight Star in Legacy Fight This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: In UFC's crowded welterweight division, what's the next move for every contender?
What should the UFC do about all these welterweight contenders thinking they deserve the next title shot? Would we be better off with finish bonuses instead of win bonuses? And what can Khalil Rountree Jr.'s customized fight shorts tell us about the state of MMA fashions and so forth? All hat and much more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesMMA or @ @SLefkaditis: Welterweight. Who against who next? Advertisement First of all, can we all agree that Kamaru Usman is living in some alternate reality with all his title shot talk? I get it, that was a big win for him on Saturday. He needed it and he got it. But the reason he needed it is because he was 0-3 coming into the fight and his last win came in 2021. You don't win one fight and jump immediately to the front of the line. I know his argument is that a 170-pound title fight between the former pound-for-pound best (himself) and the current pound-for-pound best (Islam Makhachev) would be a guaranteed blockbuster. My counter to that is: Would it though? Usman wasn't a massive draw even when he was champ. Makhachev's biggest potential fight is still Ilia Topuria at lightweight. Usman still has work to do to get back in the conversation at welterweight, which is why he should stop playing and accept Belal Muhammad's offer to fight next. As for what should happen with the title, I say Shavkat Rakhmonov should get the winner of Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena. He earned it. That title shot that "JDM" got out of nowhere was supposed to be Rakhmonov's. So as soon as he's healthy, let's find out if he's really as inevitable as he seems at 170 pounds. That leaves Sean Brady and Ian Machado Garry without dance partners, so put them in there with each other and let's see who's next in line. Advertisement Whatever happens, one rule I'd like us to agree on moving forward is this: The next person to call out Colby Covington automatically falls three spots in the rankings. This simply must stop, you guys. @Mike_Fierce_: Light Heavyweight was once considered the UFC's marquee division with some of the biggest names and greatest fights in the history of the sport. Now ruled by a lackluster champion in Ankalaev, are those days of walking amongst giants now long gone…? First of all, let's tap the brakes on phrases like 'ruled by' when referring to the guy who won the UFC light heavyweight title in March and has yet to defend it. Let's also not forget that for the past year and change the champ was Alex Pereira, who's still one of the vanishingly few actual stars on the UFC roster. We all had fun with that, right? Some of the best and most popular fighters in the short history of this sport have come out of the 205-pound class, from Jon Jones to Chuck Liddell to Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. Sometimes the division is better than others, but I still think it has the potential to be the UFC's glamour division. Advertisement The fighters who populate the division are big enough to be scary tough guys to the general public, but not necessarily big enough that all the good ones already got scooped up by the NFL. And who knows, maybe Magomed Ankalaev will turn out to be more fun as a champion than we think. Though I will admit, the fact he's basically disappeared from view and from the conversation entirely since winning the title doesn't make me terribly hopeful just now. @BTM99_MMA: Should the fight/win bonus structure be replaced with a generous fight/finish bonus? The last UFC for example was very poor - x2 DQ chasers several bouts resembled sparring sessions I don't hate that idea at all. I think the show/win pay structure sucks for a few different reasons, not the least of which is that there are so many ways for a fighter to put on a great performance and still end up with only half their money. Incentivizing wins above all else can result in some boring fights — and especially some boring final rounds, once a fighter knows he's up on the cards and just has to coast home. Incentivizing finishes seems like it would lead to more exciting fights, and you still end up paying the winner anyway. But as long as we're looking at antiquated pay structures, how about those UFC 'performance' bonuses? It used to be Knockout of the Night, Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night. Then I'm guessing some legal egghead saw the NFL's concussion lawsuits and figured that explicitly incentivizing knockouts could come back to bite the UFC in the butt, so we changed the names but kept the same basic concept. Advertisement Thing is, those bonuses weren't always worth $50,000. For instance, UFC 106 in 2009? Bonuses were $70,000 each. For UFC 142 in 2012 they were $65,000. That was not only a different time for the value of the U.S. dollar (that $70,000 bonus in 2009 is equivalent to about $106,000 today), but also a very different time for the UFC. This promotion makes so much more money now than it did back then. Like, a boatload more. So tell me why the bonus amounts settled at $50,000 and then never budged, except for rare special occasions like UFC 300? How have fighters just accepted that their bonus-worthy finishes are basically worth less than half what Josh Koscheck got for choking out Anthony Johnson at the Mandalay Bay in 2009? Now that's a question they ought to be asking themselves. @JedKMeshew: What if, instead of some fighters getting custom shorts occasionally, every fighter got to make their own custom shorts? Do you think that would be cool? I do, Jed. I think it would be very cool. Also sometimes dumb and weird, but at least interesting. Advertisement That's why I couldn't understand the contingent of fans who, upon seeing Khalil Rountree Jr.'s shorts for Saturday's main event, got hung up on the question of whether or not Rountree was a big enough deal in the UFC to merit his own special shorts. They should all get their own individual shorts! It's an individual sport, and helping people stand out from the crowd should be part of a promoter's goal! Remember back before any of these outfitting deals, when fighters could wear whatever shorts they wanted within the limits of good taste? (Shouts out to Dennis Hallman.) Tito Ortiz had the flame shorts. Liddell had his whole 'Iceman' motif. People got to show some personality. We need more and not less of that. Plus, as Rountree's shorts showed us, some of these fighters actually have some good ideas. @NeedXtoseePosts: How bad is it I sorta of want Charles Oliveira to fall out of the Ilia Topuria fight with the news Arman Tsarukyan is the back up I do feel very bad about it FWIW For my money, Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira has the makings of a more exciting fight. You could argue that Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan would be the more meaningful fight at lightweight right now, and I wouldn't disagree. But I also think people are forgetting that 'Do Bronx' can still do the damn thing and might spoil everyone's party at UFC 317. @CrooklynMMA: If you had to go to a club in a UFC fight kit, whose would you choose? Advertisement I would go with a vintage "Giblert" Melendez Reebok kit. Lets people know you're not some newb casual. Shows you have a sense of humor. Plus it's got to be worth something by now, the same way those baseball cards with minor defects are. @Bengonzz01: Will Payton Talbot be the next edmen shabazyan/sage Northcutt considering how the ufc just booked him coming off a loss You're over here acting like Edmen Shahbazyan didn't just win a fight on Saturday. But fine, I see your point. The UFC can sometimes get excited about a young prospect one month only to feed him to the wolves the next. But what's happening with Payton Talbott seems more like the UFC matching up a couple young fighters with similar experience and letting them decide for themselves who's for real. Felipe Lima is newer to the UFC, but has a few more fights and only one loss, like Talbott. Lima is 27, while Talbott is 26. I know it's not a setup fight to help Talbott stack easy wins, but is that what we want out of the UFC? I'm not so sure. When you make fights with one specific outcome in mind, eventually you get disappointed. @ProFightsInfo: What would you think if all the non-UFC MMA companies got together and announced that once a year they will do a joint show that is branded like the World Cup? PFL, ONE, RIZIN, KSW and Cage Warriors (maybe not them w/ the UFC connections). Would fans be excited? Would it succeed? Advertisement I think it would be super exciting and you'd have a good chance of getting every promoter on board except the UFC. It has more to lose than to gain from that, and company execs know it. Would something like this help build the sport? Absolutely. But the UFC is not in the building phase right now. It is in the cash-out phase. One of the reasons it keeps hundreds of fighters under contract is so those other promoters have a harder time getting anything interesting going. The UFC isn't going to ruin that plan by flinging open the door just because fans would love it.
