Joaquin Buckley has never fought a former undisputed UFC champion, but that will change this weekend at UFC Atlanta. “New Mansa” is set to take on former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman in the main event of the fight night at State Farm Arena.
Joaquin Buckley Loses Character in Front of Kamaru Usman
Buckley and Usman, along with UFC Atlanta co-main event fighters Rose Namajunas and Miranda Maverick, recently faced off at State Farm Arena. The UFC released the video on social media, captioning the post, “FACE TO FACE IN ATLANTA 😮💨.”
At first, Buckley had an intense faceoff with his opponent. He asked Usman, “How you feel going up against the new king, feel good?”
Usman simply nodded. However, the 31-year-old Buckley couldn’t keep up the tough-guy act for long. “This so real. God, I’m with Usman,” an excited Buckley said as he broke character.
Meanwhile, Namajunas and Maverick maintained intensity from start to finish. The two flyweight women didn’t blink throughout. The fight against “Thug” will be Maverick’s first since becoming a mother. The 27-year-old and her husband, Pete Hobold, recently adopted a newborn girl named Renegade Ramira Maverick.
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Usman vs. Buckley has major implications for the welterweight title picture. Belal Muhammad’s loss to Jack Della Maddalena prompted pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev to vacate the title and move up in weight. A win at UFC Atlanta could earn either fighter — especially Buckley — a shot at the winner of Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena.
Meanwhile, a win over Buckley might set Usman up for a high-profile matchup against Muhammad. Although Usman and Muhammad share the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz, they have reportedly not been on good terms. They allegedly had a scuffle during an unreleased episode of the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast.
Buckley Makes Bold Claim About JDM vs Makhachev
Buckley recently claimed he would leapfrog Makhachev with a victory over Usman at UFC Atlanta. “The JDM fight and Islam fight – it’s not a massive fight to make,” Buckley said in Episode 4 of “Buck What You Heard“.
“JDM is the world champion right now. But I truly believe that Islam got to sit back and just wait for me to get my title, because I will be the hardest fight that Islam has,” he added.
However, UFC CEO Dana White has already said Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena is next, though no official date has been confirmed. Additionally, the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov — currently sidelined with an injury — was previously promised a title shot.
Although not officially announced, UFC commentator Jon Anik claimed Rakhmonov would fight Muhammad in October. With other contenders like Sean Brady, Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry also chasing undisputed glory, the welterweight division is entering an exciting phase.