After a tough move up to middleweight that didn’t quite go his way against Khamzat Chimaev, Kamaru Usman is heading back to familiar territory at 170 pounds. His next test? A showdown with the always-dangerous Joaquin Buckley, in a fight that, at first glance, seems like a perfect matchup for fans craving action.
But not everyone is completely sold! UFC analyst Chael Sonnen is a little disappointed with how this one came together. While the fight itself promises fireworks, Sonnen pointed out one major issue that’s been bothering him
Usman is currently on a three-fight skid. Two of those losses have been at the hands of Leon Edwards with the belt on the line. The most recent one was against Chimaev, where he took a short-notice fight to move up in weight and majorly saved the card.
Despite a rough start, the senior statesman counterpunched his way back against the undefeated Chimaev and only lost by majority decision (29-27, 29-27, and 28-28). This commendable performance, that too on short notice, left fans wondering how he would fare with a full training camp at 185 pounds. And this is where Sonnen’s disappointment is rooted in.
During the latest episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show with Daniel Cormier, Sonnen expressed his grief with the match-up and said, “One thing that did bother me to a degree, on the fight announcement. I wanted him to stay at 185.”
Further explaining his point of view, the former middleweight contender added, I thought that as well as he did with Chimaev… the best way to get a fresh coat of paint for a particularly older fighter, is to go up in weight.”
“But it is a very hard thing to get through to somebody. So, while I am a little disappointed we are doing 170. I probably would have predicted that he was going to stay put”, he noted.
However, all complaints aside, Usman will look at this as his final chance of making it back to title contention. As for Buckley, the internet is filled with jokes about him running through the welterweight old-age home, having defeated Stephen Thomson and Colby Covington previously in the Dana White-led promotion.
What’s on the line for Usman vs Buckley
Usman has been trying to beef with the current welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, for some time now, even suggesting that he fight his training partner and lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
Belal, in response, had asked him to focus on his second innings as a podcaster. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Belal had dropped more than a few truth bombs on the former pound for pound number 1 fighter.
“You’re on a three-fight losing streak and should start looking at retirement now, or you’re gonna get on that Tony Ferguson losing streak, and people are gonna forget that you were ever champion“, he had said.
What Usman would like to do is take on Belal off the bat, but given the gap between him and the other challengers like Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Garry, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ will need to stack up a resume once again.
Meanwhile, Buckley has been tearing it up since dropping to 170 pounds, racking up an impressive 6-0 record and taking out big names. Known for his explosive style and that iconic ‘spinning back kick knockout, Buckley is quickly becoming one of the division’s must-watch fighters.
However, how he fares against a grappler of Usman’s standards for five rounds will determine his future in the division. While a cheap beef with Ian Garry by bringing up his wife does put the limelight on him, getting found out by Usman will not bode for his welterweight career.
