Kamaru Usman fights back tears after beating Joaquin Buckley to earn first UFC win since 2021
Usman, who retained the welterweight title five times during a three-year reign, used his wrestling prowess to dominate Buckley for four rounds, before surviving a fifth-round scare to earn a unanimous-decision win.
The scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in Usman's favour, as the Nigerian-American snapped a three-fight losing streak. In doing so, he also broke Buckley's six-fight winning run.
Usman had last scored a victory in November 2021, outpointing old rival Colby Covington in his final successful title defence. Then, in August 2022, he was en route to a comfortable decision win over Leon Edwards before succumbing to a dramatic, late knockout.
Usman, who previously outpointed Edwards in 2015, lost their trilogy bout on points in 2023, failing to regain the 170lb title. Then, in October 2023, he stepped in to face the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. In what was Usman's middleweight debut, he performed admirably but lost via decision.
Usman, 38, returned to welterweight to face the in-form Buckley on Saturday (14 June), where he defied his doubters with an impressive performance, which gave way to an emotional post-fight interview.
'It feels good,' he said in the cage. 'It's been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that – very talented, very aggressive – you've got to pull out the skills and use the experience.
'That's what I did tonight. I expected him to be really, really tough, which he was. I know what it takes to work and get up in here. Thank you to him for bringing everything that he brought.
'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***: 'Oh, his knees, his knees [are done]!' Well, shut the f*** up. I can still do what I do. The rest of the welterweight division, listen: I have been and always will be the f*****g boogeyman.'
'I can do that to anybody, any one of them. Those knockouts will come, I just needed this monkey off my back. Next one, whoever it is for that title, I'll see about you.'
An emotional Usman also referenced his daughter's absence from the Fight Night, saying: 'Before I go, I just wanted to say that I have a lot of emotions coming into this one [...] a lot of things that I had to battle back from. I'm holding back all the emotions.
'Unfortunately, my daughter can't be here with me tonight. That's another long story. But man, I just want to say thank you to everybody – thank you to my family, my coaches who kept me going, Buckley for bringing the challenge.'
Jack Della Maddalena, the reigning welterweight champion, is due to defend the belt later this year against Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated the lightweight strap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz hits 4 HRs against Astros
July 26 - Athletics designated hitter Nick Kurtz hit four home runs in his team's 15-3 road win over the Houston Astros on Friday night, becoming the first rookie in major league history to accomplish the feat. He is the 20th player in big-league history to hit four home runs in a game. The Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez hit four home runs against the Atlanta Braves on April 26 -- three days after Kurtz made his major league debut. Kurtz's fourth homer came in the ninth inning, a three-run shot off Astros outfielder Cooper Hummel that gave him six hits and eight RBIs on the night. The homer was his 23rd in just his 66th career game. Kurtz ended the game 6-for-6. He singled in the first inning, hit a two-run homer in the second, added an RBI double in the fourth, belted solo shots in the sixth and eighth, then connected again in the ninth. --Field Level Media
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Nathan Eovaldi continues to dominate as Rangers cruise past Braves
July 26 - Jonah Heim homered and Sam Haggerty had an RBI double and scored a run to back a solid start by Nathan Eovaldi as the Texas Rangers stayed hot with an 8-3 win over the sputtering Atlanta Braves on Friday in the first of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won their fourth straight game and 12th in their past 15 outings while Atlanta dropped its third consecutive contest. Texas, led by Haggerty's two hits, outhit the Braves 8-6. Eovaldi (8-2), returning to the mound after missing his last scheduled start because of a stiff back, gave up three hits in five scoreless innings while walking four and striking out seven. It was the seventh start this season in which Eovaldi did not allow a run. Joey Wentz (2-2), making just his second start since 2023, allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings. The Rangers got on the board in their first at bat. Haggerty -- who was reinstated from the injured list just prior to the game -- led off with a single, went to third on a stolen base and a throwing error on the steal and trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Marcus Semien. Texas added to the lead with Heim's two-out solo home run in the second. In the fourth, Semien walked to begin the inning and stole second. He raced home on a double to left field by Wyatt Langford to push the Rangers' advantage to 3-0. Haggerty's double in the fifth off Atlanta reliever Aaron Bummer plated Michael Helman, who had singled, and expanded Texas' lead. The Braves finally responded as Micheal Harris II homered off Texas' reliever Jacob Latz to lead off the seventh inning. Texas put away the game in the eighth with plenty of help from the Braves. After singles by Adolis Garcia and Josh Jung and a walk from to Langford, reliever Rafael Montero issued a bases-loaded walk to Heim to score a run. Hunter Stratton relieved for Atlanta and hit Josh Smith with a pitch to score another run, Evan Carter singled to drive in a third run in the frame and Rowdy Tellez added a sacrifice fly to make it 8-1. Jurickson Profar and Matt Olson had a RBIs in the ninth for the Braves but it was far too little, too late. --Field Level Media
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
White Sox bash four homers, thrash Cubs in series opener
July 26 - Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman homered and Adrian Houser pitched effectively into the seventh inning as the host Chicago White Sox routed the Chicago Cubs 12-5 on Friday. Winners of six of seven since the All-Star break, the White Sox collected 18 hits, including seven for extra bases. Each starter had at least one hit while all but one had an RBI in the opener of a three-game series. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (7-4) matched the shortest outing of his major league career, surrendering seven runs and 12 hits in three-plus innings. That included a trio of solo home runs as well as a two-run single off the bat of Lenyn Sosa during the White Sox' three-run first-inning outburst that saw Imanaga throw 35 of his 85 pitches. Slater opened the fourth with a home run before Edgar Quero chased Imanaga with a double as part of a 4-for-5 night. Miguel Vargas and Meidroth contributed three hits apiece while Slater and Sosa each added two hits. Meidroth and Slater each scored three runs. The offensive barrage certainly pleased the South Side backers among a sellout crowd of 38,762, especially after the Cubs swept the visiting White Sox from May 16-18. The Cubs struck out just three times against Houser, who won his fourth consecutive decision. Houser (6-2) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings. Cubs catcher Reese McGuire belted a three-run home run in the seventh, slicing the visitors' deficit to 11-3. McGuire paced the Cubs' nine-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the ninth. Vidal Brujan also had a season-high three hits for the Cubs. Montgomery has homered in three straight games for the White Sox, and he has seven RBIs in that span. White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who is riding a nine-game hitting streak, missed the game with a sore adductor. --Field Level Media
