Kamaru Usman finds himself in a very interesting position heading into his UFC Fight Night main event fight with Joaquin Buckley.
Usman hasn’t fought since late 2023 and is coming off the back of three straight losses. Buckley, meanwhile, is on an absolute heater. The American has won his last six fights, picking up four KOs along the way. But unlike most fighters, Usman has already transitioned into a successful analyst career.
Usman and his co-host, Henry Cejudo, have hosted Pound 4 Pound since February 2024. They’ve already accumulated well over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. And now heading into his first fight since starting the podcast with Cejudo, it offered ‘Triple C’ his first ever opportunity to question his co-host Usman about his own upcoming fight.
Fans could forgive Usman for being pessimistic, given his ring rust and current losing streak, but the Nigerian Nightmare was anything but. Cejudo’s questioning looked beyond Buckley, seeking to reveal whether Usman had thought about future opponents. For Usman, Buckley seemed like a stepping stone to bigger and better fights.
“Once I finish Buckley, 100% a fight between myself and JDM (Jack Della Maddalena) would be huge,” started Usman. “They got that big Australian stadium. I think it’s Marvel Stadium, whatever that is. I think the UFC would love to get back to. Not just that, if it’s not JDM, if it’s Islam Makhachev, which it very well could be, I mean, who wouldn’t buy a ticket to that?
“Former pound-for-pound and current pound-for-pound champion? Who wouldn’t buy a ticket to watch that? I think it’s a blockbuster fight… I love Islam, of course. That’s my guy. And you know, Henry, like we’ve said before, like Mike Tyson let us both know, if that’s your friend and you love him, then you make money together. So why not?”
Kamaru Usman: One last dance at UFC Fight Night or the start of a renaissance?
Usman’s career is defined by his incredibly active welterweight title reign. With five title defenses in less than two years, he claimed the #1 pound-for-pound position during a dominant period in the division. His recent form, though, has been in complete contrast to that fortune.
Now 38, and his knees in less than perfect condition, the dynamic Joaquin Buckley presents a problem to the returning Usman.
Still, the old adage ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ rings true here. Usman’s welterweight run was the stuff of legends, and despite his poor form, he still retains the #5 spot in a remarkably talented division. The fight is by no means an open-and-shut case.
But the Buckley fight does present a fork in the road for Usman. Defeat Buckley, and Usman proves that there’s still something left in the tank. Buckley is an in-form rising star. Stopping him in his tracks will be a statement of intent. However, if Usman loses his fourth straight fight, the UFC brass will have to consider cutting him off.
The welterweight division is stuffed with talent, top to bottom. There simply isn’t room for any dead weight. If he does lose on Saturday, Usman might want to take matters into his own hands and call time on his career.
It won’t be the way that he wants to go, but it doesn’t take the shine off his career either. A former UFC champion and pound-for-pound #1, Kamaru Usman is top-tier, and nobody can take that away from him.
