Latest news with #KamaruUsman
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Belal Muhammad still feels like UFC's best welterweight, says Kamaru Usman is avoiding him
LAS VEGAS – Belal Muhammad may have lost the UFC welterweight title, but his belief he's the best still remains. A little over one month removed from UFC 315 and being dethroned by Jack Della Maddalena, Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) thinks he understands why he lost. He thinks if he were to face Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) tomorrow, the outcome would be different. Advertisement "To me, it's always proving a point," Muhammad recently told MMA Junkie at the UFC X fan experience. "All of my other fights on the come-up, I was the underdog. People thought I couldn't do it. In this fight, they're like, 'Oh, he's going to wrestle easy, but he can't strike with him.' I wanted to prove something, that I could strike with him. I can strike with any of these guys. "Thinking myself, looking back at myself, I still think I won three of the rounds. The judges didn't. But I still grew from it. I still got better from it. So would I go back and change anything? Obviously, what I would do is get my hand raised. But I still think I can outstrike these guys. I still think I'm better than them on the feet. If I were to fight him again, I think could piece him up on the feet, as well." Muhammad said he'll fight whenever the promotion wants him to, but October or November would be ideal. The idea of a battle against rival Kamaru Usman seems like the perfect fight to him, but he's willing change course to Ian Machado Garry or a rematch vs. Sean Brady, if need be. "I think fighting Kamaru Usman (is what should happen)," Muhammad said. "He has to go through me. I'm still the No. 1-ranked guy. It was a war. It was Fight of the Night. If JDM is still the champion, who wouldn't see that fight again? For me, all these guys (have) got to look to fight me. Advertisement "Kamaru Usman is acting like he deserves a heavyweight title fight after beating Buckley, who can't wrestle, acting like he's still the champion. I'm like, 'Bro, you're 1-3 out of your last four fights.' You were saying, 'When I see Belal, it's on sight.' So now you have a chance to make it on sight inside the cage, and you're not doing it. He's trying to stray away from it. At the end of the day, I'm still the No. 1 guy. So I think whoever fights me, the winner of that fight is going to get next." Usman recently snapped a three-fight skid with a dominant unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley. He and Muhammad have shared mutual distaste for one another since an alleged podcast recording incident in which Muhammad claims Usman cried before the two got physical. The episode has never been released. "He's trying to avoid me," Muhammad said. "He knows I'm still the hardest guy in the division when you're looking at stylistic matchups. I still think I'm the best in the division, no matter what. Part of that is to throw interceptions. (Quarterbacks) get to play again next week. But fighters, we don't. We have to fight again in three to four months. "For me, it's getting back to where I belong, getting a win and if Kamaru keeps trying to avoid it, it's next guy up. Ian was talking about it. If Ian wants to fight, let's go, Ian. We've got Sean Brady is still there, guys that are still riding high in the division. I still think I beat all of them. All it takes for me is to get one more win and then I'm back where I belong, fighting for the belt." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Belal Muhammad still feels like UFC's best, says Kamaru Usman avoiding him
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Belal Muhammad still feels like UFC's best welterweight, says Kamaru Usman is avoiding him
LAS VEGAS – Belal Muhammad may have lost the UFC welterweight title, but his belief he's the best still remains. A little over one month removed from UFC 315 and being dethroned by Jack Della Maddalena, Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) thinks he understands why he lost. He thinks if he were to face Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) tomorrow, the outcome would be different. "To me, it's always proving a point," Muhammad recently told MMA Junkie at the UFC X fan experience. "All of my other fights on the come-up, I was the underdog. People thought I couldn't do it. In this fight, they're like, 'Oh, he's going to wrestle easy, but he can't strike with him.' I wanted to prove something, that I could strike with him. I can strike with any of these guys. "Thinking myself, looking back at myself, I still think I won three of the rounds. The judges didn't. But I still grew from it. I still got better from it. So would I go back and change anything? Obviously, what I would do is get my hand raised. But I still think I can outstrike these guys. I still think I'm better than them on the feet. If I were to fight him again, I think could piece him up on the feet, as well." Muhammad said he'll fight whenever the promotion wants him to, but October or November would be ideal. The idea of a battle against rival Kamaru Usman seems like the perfect fight to him, but he's willing change course to Ian Machado Garry or a rematch vs. Sean Brady, if need be. "I think fighting Kamaru Usman (is what should happen)," Muhammad said. "He has to go through me. I'm still the No. 1-ranked guy. It was a war. It was Fight of the Night. If JDM is still the champion, who wouldn't see that fight again? For me, all these guys (have) got to look to fight me. "Kamaru Usman is acting like he deserves a heavyweight title fight after beating Buckley, who can't wrestle, acting like he's still the champion. I'm like, 'Bro, you're 1-3 out of your last four fights.' You were saying, 'When I see Belal, it's on sight.' So now you have a chance to make it on sight inside the cage, and you're not doing it. He's trying to stray away from it. At the end of the day, I'm still the No. 1 guy. So I think whoever fights me, the winner of that fight is going to get next." Usman recently snapped a three-fight skid with a dominant unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley. He and Muhammad have shared mutual distaste for one another since an alleged podcast recording incident in which Muhammad claims Usman cried before the two got physical. The episode has never been released. "He's trying to avoid me," Muhammad said. "He knows I'm still the hardest guy in the division when you're looking at stylistic matchups. I still think I'm the best in the division, no matter what. Part of that is to throw interceptions. (Quarterbacks) get to play again next week. But fighters, we don't. We have to fight again in three to four months. "For me, it's getting back to where I belong, getting a win and if Kamaru keeps trying to avoid it, it's next guy up. Ian was talking about it. If Ian wants to fight, let's go, Ian. We've got Sean Brady is still there, guys that are still riding high in the division. I still think I beat all of them. All it takes for me is to get one more win and then I'm back where I belong, fighting for the belt."
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kamaru Usman fights back tears after beating Joaquin Buckley to earn first UFC win since 2021
Kamaru Usman fought back tears on Saturday after overcoming Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta, a result that marked his 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement '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. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (Getty Images) '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.' Advertisement '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.' Jaoquin Buckley must go back to the drawing board (Getty) 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. 'JDM' won the belt in May by outpointing Belal Muhammad, who is now calling for a fight with Usman, but the 'Nigerian Nightmare' has insisted he only wants a title shot next.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Israel Adesanya ‘not a real fighter', says Joaquin Buckley after detailing run-in with UFC star
Joaquin Buckley has accused Israel Adesanya of not being a 'real fighter', after the UFC stars offered their respective accounts on a run-in between them. After Buckley suffered a one-sided decision loss to Kamaru Usman on Saturday (14 June), the latter's friend Adesanya hit out at Buckley, saying on his YouTube channel: 'I hate [him], bro. I don't even use the word 'hate' lightly, but I hate [him], bro. Advertisement 'Something about him just f*****g annoys me. The coolest thing about him is that kick [Buckley's 2020 knockout of Impa Kasanganay]. I respect that.' Then, describing a moment in which he met Buckley at the UFC Performance Institute, the former two-time middleweight champion said: 'Literally, I'm just trying to chill, talk. [He says:] 'Hey, man, we've gotta get this going, duh duh duh duh duh duh,' like he's rapping. 'Every single time. He's just so f*****g annoying. At one point, I literally walked away while he was talking... and I think he didn't like that, so he went against me since then. But f*** the dude. Maybe I'm a hater, bro, maybe I'm just a hater.' Welterweight Buckley then used his own YouTube channel to fire back at Adesanya, saying on Thursday (19 June): 'He knows what it is to take an L, but to say that you hate a motherf***** and you're glad that they lost, you're glad that they didn't achieve their dreams is wild to me, bro. Advertisement 'Like, bro, why the f*** you mad at me? What the f*** did I do to you? I kind of find it funny that you're hating on me, you need to be hating on the motherf****** that took your belt. Jaoquin Buckley must go back to the drawing board after losing to Kamaru Usman (Getty) 'He's trying to be funny, he's trying to use his platform to talk s*** on me, but that really just shows me the potential of my name, and how big I'm becoming. Just like when I met his ass at the [Performance Institute], and I ran up on him and was like, 'Hey, bro, I think we'd be a good-ass fight, [Adesanya] was quiet at the time. 'But see, I'm man enough to come up to your face. Tell me how you feel to my face, bro [...] You're all underneath the covers like: 'Man, I hate that [guy].' You ain't no real fighter. You want to be a little pretty boy.' Advertisement American Buckley, 31, appeared to be closing in on a welterweight title shot before his loss to Usman, a former champion in the division. Meanwhile, Adesanya, 35, finds himself in the unusual position of riding a three-fight losing streak. After regaining the middleweight title from old rival Alex Pereira in April 2023, the 'Last Stylebender' lost the belt to Sean Strickland that September. Then, last August, Adesanya suffered a submission loss to Strickland's successor Dricus Du Plessis. The Nigerian-born New Zealander attempted to bounce back against Nassourdine Imavov in February, but he was stopped in round two. Israel Adesanya (right) during his 2024 loss to Dricus Du Plessis (Getty Images) Adesanya's first reign with the belt lasted three years and featured five successful title defences, with those same numbers applying to Usman's welterweight title run. Advertisement After surviving a difficult fifth round to outpoint Buckley, Usman, who had employed his trademark wrestling impressively in the first four frames, held back tears in the cage. 'It's been a while,' he said. '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. '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.'
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Israel Adesanya ‘not a real fighter', says Joaquin Buckley after detailing run-in with UFC star
Joaquin Buckley has accused Israel Adesanya of not being a 'real fighter', after the UFC stars offered their respective accounts on a run-in between them. After Buckley suffered a one-sided decision loss to Kamaru Usman on Saturday (14 June), the latter's friend Adesanya hit out at Buckley, saying on his YouTube channel: 'I hate [him], bro. I don't even use the word 'hate' lightly, but I hate [him], bro. 'Something about him just f*****g annoys me. The coolest thing about him is that kick [Buckley's 2020 knockout of Impa Kasanganay]. I respect that.' Then, describing a moment in which he met Buckley at the UFC Performance Institute, the former two-time middleweight champion said: 'Literally, I'm just trying to chill, talk. [He says:] 'Hey, man, we've gotta get this going, duh duh duh duh duh duh,' like he's rapping. 'Every single time. He's just so f*****g annoying. At one point, I literally walked away while he was talking... and I think he didn't like that, so he went against me since then. But f*** the dude. Maybe I'm a hater, bro, maybe I'm just a hater.' Welterweight Buckley then used his own YouTube channel to fire back at Adesanya, saying on Thursday (19 June): 'He knows what it is to take an L, but to say that you hate a motherf***** and you're glad that they lost, you're glad that they didn't achieve their dreams is wild to me, bro. 'Like, bro, why the f*** you mad at me? What the f*** did I do to you? I kind of find it funny that you're hating on me, you need to be hating on the motherf****** that took your belt. 'He's trying to be funny, he's trying to use his platform to talk s*** on me, but that really just shows me the potential of my name, and how big I'm becoming. Just like when I met his ass at the [Performance Institute], and I ran up on him and was like, 'Hey, bro, I think we'd be a good-ass fight, [Adesanya] was quiet at the time. 'But see, I'm man enough to come up to your face. Tell me how you feel to my face, bro [...] You're all underneath the covers like: 'Man, I hate that [guy].' You ain't no real fighter. You want to be a little pretty boy.' American Buckley, 31, appeared to be closing in on a welterweight title shot before his loss to Usman, a former champion in the division. Meanwhile, Adesanya, 35, finds himself in the unusual position of riding a three-fight losing streak. After regaining the middleweight title from old rival Alex Pereira in April 2023, the 'Last Stylebender' lost the belt to Sean Strickland that September. Then, last August, Adesanya suffered a submission loss to Strickland's successor Dricus Du Plessis. The Nigerian-born New Zealander attempted to bounce back against Nassourdine Imavov in February, but he was stopped in round two. Adesanya's first reign with the belt lasted three years and featured five successful title defences, with those same numbers applying to Usman's welterweight title run. After surviving a difficult fifth round to outpoint Buckley, Usman, who had employed his trademark wrestling impressively in the first four frames, held back tears in the cage. 'It's been a while,' he said. '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. '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.'
