After incomes the most important win of his profession in December, Joaquin Buckley has his sights set on a former world champion.
‘New Mansa’ prolonged his unbeaten streak to 6 with a dominant physician’s stoppage TKO in opposition to Colby Covington at UFC Tampa.
Now, Buckley is lobbying for a battle with the person who beat ‘Chaos’ twice contained in the Octagon — former UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman. Throughout a latest interview with Parry Punch, Buckley referred to as for a conflict with Usman, suggesting the 2 may headline the UFC’s return to Kansas Metropolis on April 26.
“I would like a former champion on my resume and would be Kamaru be it, right? Got Colby, right? Interim champ,” Buckley stated. “However I’m like, let me get a former champ too. And anyone that was embellished to the purpose the place they thought he was gonna be the welterweight GOAT in some unspecified time in the future in his profession. Let me go forward, get him up out of there, get busy with him, after which go get my belt, proper?
“Because I feel like it’s the names, right? Kamaru Usman just saw that, and he knows he’s next. We headline anyway.I heard something special is going on in Kansas.”
So far, six fights have been introduced for the Combat Evening card within the Coronary heart of America, however no predominant occasion.
Is joaquin buckley in consideration for kamaru usman’s return opponent?
Whereas Buckley has been busy working his approach up the contender’s ladder, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ has been sitting on the sidelines after struggling his third-straight loss in opposition to Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023.
The bulk choice defeat in opposition to ‘Borz’ got here after Usman had already fallen twice in opposition to ex-champ Leon Edwards—dropping his 170-pound crown to ‘Rocky’ earlier than failing to reclaim it in a rematch the next 12 months.
Regardless of his inactivity, Usman has remained adamant about returning to the Octagon earlier than calling it a profession. Beforehand, he’s floated the thought of preventing names like Ian Machado Garry, Jack Della Maddalena, and, after all, reigning welterweight king Belal Muhammad. Nonetheless, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ did depart the door open for a possible transfer to middleweight, if the battle is correct.
“It’s an interesting spot. I’ve never been in a spot like this… For me, I made my career being a welterweight…. But, for the right fight, middleweight makes sense,” Usman stated on the Anik & Florian podcast final summer time.
