Kamaru Usman is rested, recovered and ready to restore his status as the second-best welterweight ever. Usman ends the longest hiatus of his 12-year career at UFC Fight Night on Saturday. Welcoming back the former champion is Joaquin Buckley, a promising contender representing the new wave at welterweight.
Usman (20-4) had a phenomenal UFC welterweight title run, defending the title five times and cementing himself behind only Georges St-Pierre. One head kick changed everything. Leon Edwards, 56 seconds from losing a decision, uncorked the highlight reel strike that took Usman’s consciousness and his title. Subsequent losses to Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev handed Usman his first losing streak, spurring a hiatus to remedy lingering aches.
“I came into the game with injuries,” Usman told CBS Sports. “Most people don’t realize that when I fought for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in 2015, which was my first UFC fight, I was four months removed from microfracture surgery. It was supposed to be an eight-month recovery, but I went in and fought.
“I was always dealing with things. It was difficult, but it never stopped me. It grew my threshold for being uncomfortable, which I’ve been throughout my career. It feels good to go in here now and try to get back to the top.”
Check out the full interview with Kamaru Usman below.
Buckley (21-6) is ready to ascend to the top of the welterweight division, joining fellow rising stars Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. “New Mansa” became a new man after consecutive losses in 2022. Dropping down to welterweight, Buckley pieced together six straight wins with four finishes. Notable victims include former title challengers Colby Covington and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
“Knowing that my job was on the line, that was the switch,” Buckley told CBS Sports. “Knowing if I took another loss, this could be my last opportunity.”
Buckley might be the most confident 170-pounder on the planet. The explosive striker claimed to be in the running for the welterweight title shot that Della Maddalena landed. The dealbreaker? Islam Makhachev wouldn’t move to welterweight with Buckley as champ.
“Islam is only moving up because he has the right opportunity to fight the right person…” Buckley said. “Even though JDM has weapons and a lot of threats, all you have to do is put buddy on his back and he’s a simple fighter.
“Why didn’t they pick me? Because they knew Islam wouldn’t move up if I got the belt from Belal [Muhammad]. True story.”
Saturday’s main card features former UFC champions Rose Namajunas and Cody Garbrandt fighting Miranda Maverick and Raoni Barcelos, respectively. Namajunas recently told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell she thinks a flyweight title run is plausible despite her setbacks.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday with the latest odds and a main event prediction.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Joaquin Buckley -270 | Kamaru Usman +220 | Welterweight |
| Rose Namajunas -240 | Miranda Maverick +200 | Women’s flyweight |
| Edmen Shahbazyan -180 | Andre Petroski +150 | Middleweight |
| Raoni Barcelos -205 | Cody Garbrandt +170 | Bantamweight |
| Mansur Abdul-Malik -800 | Cody Brundage +550 | Middleweight |
| Oumar Sy -700 | Alonzo Menifield +500 | Light heavyweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: June 14 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: State Farm Arena — Atlanta
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Prediction
Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley: I’m not ready to call Usman over the hill. This fight will inform where the former champion is headed. Usman is well-rested after giving Khamzat Chimaev a surprisingly tough fight, up a division on short notice. However, the welterweight landscape is dramatically shifting. Covington, Muhammad, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards are among Usman’s contemporaries being pushed out of the division. Buckley is on quite a tear. Rounding out his skillset has further empowered Buckley’s phenomenal KO power. Usman is traditionally quite durable and a strong wrestler, tools that serve him well on Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised if Usman pulls the upset, but I have too much respect for Buckley’s evolving game. Usman will hang tough for a while before Buckley puts him away. Buckley via TKO, Round 4
