Francis Ngannou was seen alongside Kamaru Usman ahead of his upcoming return to the octagon.
Usman is set to make his return after nearly two years to face Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta this Saturday at State Farm Arena. After both the former welterweight champion and the surging contender successfully made weight Friday morning, they appeared for the ceremonial weigh-ins later that afternoon. Notably, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou accompanied Usman onto the stage during his entrance.
The two fighters then engaged in an intense final faceoff, neither man willing to break eye contact first.
Usman is looking to end a three-fight losing streak in his first bout since October 2023. “The Nigerian Nightmare” previously stepped up to middleweight on short notice to compete against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, losing via a competitive decision. Prior to that, Usman suffered back-to-back championship defeats to Leon Edwards.
In contrast, Joaquin Buckley has been undefeated since moving to the welterweight division, currently boasting an impressive run of four victories in 2024. “New Mansa” finished the previous year strongly with a dominant TKO win over Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa last December.
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