Usman vs. Buckley, Namajunas vs. Maverick announced for UFC Atlanta
Fight fans, Kamaru Usman is back.
Fight fans, Kamaru Usman is back.
After a year-and-a-half away from the sport, Usman is set to return to the octagon against Joaquin Buckley as the headliner at UFC Atlanta on June 14, the promotion announced Friday.
Usman (20-4) is a former welterweight champion but has lost his last three bouts, with the most recent coming against Khamzat Chimaev in Oct. 2023. The current No. 4-ranked contender beat Tyron Woodley for the title in March 2019, and successfully defended his belt five times before losing to Leon Edwards.
The 37-year-old Usman will face one of the rising contenders in Buckley (21-6). The 30-year-old is on a six-fight win streak, which includes decisive victories over big names such as Stephen Thompson, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque.
The UFC also announced that former champion and No. 6 Rose Namajunas will fight No. 12 Miranda Maverick in a flyweight bout.
Namajunas (14-7) is looking to get back into the win column after losing in November 2024 to Erin Blanchfield. The 32-year-old won the belt on two separate occasions — in November 2017 against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and in April 2021 against Zhang Weili.
Maverick (17-5) has won four in a row and six of her last seven. The 27-year-old is one of the more active fighters in the UFC, having fought three times in 2024.
