When Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley first squared off this week, forward of their welterweight conflict at UFC Battle Night time inside Atlanta’s State Farm Enviornment (10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+; prelims at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+), the 31-year-old contender had a query for the 38-year-old former champion.
“How’s it really feel going up in opposition to the brand new gen?” Buckley requested.
Buckley’s job is to combat, in fact, however in that second, he straight addressed probably the most urgent matter of this complete occasion to the one individual holding the reply.
Nearing 40 and greater than three years faraway from his final win, what does Usman have left? Can he nonetheless be an element within the 170-pound title image? Or is he about to turn into cannon fodder for somebody like Buckley, who enters the weekend on a six-fight profitable streak and who publicly referred to as for this particular matchup on the finish of final 12 months?
Usman, who hasn’t fought since October 2023, declined to answer Buckley’s probe. When requested about it later, he mentioned, “I am simply f—ing drained. Why do I should be speaking? On Saturday, we will be locked in [the Octagon], and that is when I will do the speaking.”
Three years in the past, Usman was a UFC champion and extensively thought of the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. He suffered a Hail Mary, head kick knockout within the last minute of a five-round title combat in opposition to Leon Edwards on Aug. 20, 2022, and has struggled to seek out his footing since. He misplaced to Edwards in a direct rematch in March 2023 then got here up quick in a brief discover combat in opposition to Khamzat Chimaev that October.
He has been sidelined since, saying he took time to concentrate on nonfighting elements of his life and “little accidents that had been nagging” whereas he was an energetic champion. He additionally was ready for the fitting alternative. Extra quick discover fights had been thrown his manner — which he entertained, as a result of he says he loves saving the day for the UFC — however in the end he opted to carry out for a state of affairs that places him in what he believes is the very best place to win.
“We need to end this the fitting manner,” Usman informed ESPN of his combating profession. “Reasonably than simply soar in there on per week’s discover.”
If Usman upsets Buckley — as of Friday he’s a +230 betting underdog, in response to ESPN BET — his aspirations are nonetheless these of a fighter very a lot in his prime. He desires to face the winner of an anticipated however unconfirmed title combat between welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena and former light-weight champion Islam Makhachev. And if he had been to get the combat and reclaim the belt, he would do one thing he by no means got here critically near doing throughout his first title reign: transfer as much as problem for a second belt.
“I will lay out the plan proper right here,” Usman mentioned. “End Buckley this weekend, then look ahead to the winner of Islam and [Della Maddalena]. Who would not purchase a ticket to the previous pound-for-pound [Usman] in opposition to the present pound-for-pound [Makhachev]? I feel that is one thing Islam and I’d each keep in mind endlessly.
“Win that, in all probability vacate and go put myself in opposition to [middleweight champion] Dricus Du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev.”
It is the precise mindset you need to see from a returning former champion who was quiet about his combating future throughout his layoff. There’ll probably be skepticism about how real looking Usman’s plan is, but when he seems just like the champion he as soon as was Saturday, there can be new questions.
For now, there’s just one: How does he really feel going up in opposition to the brand new gen?
