Kamaru Usman will fight for the first time since 2023 later this month as he takes on welterweight title contender Joaquin Buckley.
The former champion last stepped into the Octagon two years ago and hasn’t returned since losing by majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev.
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That defeat to Chimaev followed two straight losses to Leon Edwards, the first of which saw him lose his welterweight world title.
Usman, who boasts a record of 20-4, is now coming back to headline the next UFC Fight Night and take on Buckley, with the American 6-0 in this weight class.
His most recent victory came with a TKO win against Colby Covington in December.
Usman vs Buckley: Date and how to follow
This five-round welterweight bout will take place on Saturday, June 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The preliminary card is expected to get started at 12am on Sunday, June 15 in the UK.
The main card is scheduled for around 3am UK time, meaning the main event between Usman and Buckley will start in the early hours of the morning.
Fans can watch the preliminary bouts live on the UFC Fight Pass. You can sign up for a monthly pass for £6.99 and more details are here.
Meanwhile, the main card is available to watch live on TNT Sports in the UK. Details on how to sign up and tune into the action are here.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will also be on hand to cover all the latest news.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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Usman vs Buckley: Fight card
Subject to change
Main card
- MAIN EVENT: Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley
- Rose Namajunas vs Miranda Maverick
- Edmen Shabazyan vs Andre Petroski
- Cody Garbrandt vs Raoni Barcelos
- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs Cody Brundage
- Alonzo Menifield vs Oumar Sy
Preliminary card
- Paul Craig vs Rodolfo Bellato
- Michael Chiesa vs Court McGee
- Cody Durden vs Jose Ochoa
- Ricky Simon vs Charles Jourdain
- Tereza Bleda vs Jamey-Lyn Horth
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Usman vs Buckley: What has been said?
Speaking to ESPN after the fight was announced, Usman explained why he hasn’t fought since 2023, saying: “It’s been a while.
“I’ve been in the UFC since 2015. When I was trying so hard to get into the UFC, I never thought I’d get to 10 years in the sport.
“Last year, it’s been ups and downs. But when you get to a certain point where you’ve been fighting and fighting, and then you mature in and out of the sport, there are lots of things you want to do, lots of things that come into play.
“There’s just not really too much room to do that when you’re in the fire. And so, after 2023, I was like ‘Okay, you lost the title the year before and fought again to try and get it back’.
“I was like ‘Where do we go from here?’ You have a bit of time to do all those things you wanted to do…
“I took a year off to do some of those other things, I tried to take care of other little injuries that were nagging.
“And I got to a place where I started to miss this, it’s time to get back in there and enjoy it again before it’s gone.”
