Kamaru Usman has once again set his sights on championship glory after a commanding performance against Joaquin Buckley in the main event at UFC Atlanta. He`s made it clear that regaining gold is his sole focus, and he`s not interested in any other matchups, including a long-standing dispute with fellow former champion, Belal Muhammad.
Delivering a strong showing in his first fight in nearly two years, Usman reminded everyone who doubted him that he remains an elite welterweight contender. He highlighted that his victory was achieved primarily through his wrestling, which completely stifled Buckley for the majority of their 25-minute bout, without needing to use his full arsenal of skills.
Referencing his recent loss to Khamzat Chimaev, Usman commented, “Because of that fight, it`s almost like they forgot I could f*cking wrestle. They got dismissive and a little borderline disrespectful, but I just had to pull out the skill and just let them know respect every aspect of my game. Every aspect.”
He also spoke about the challenges of returning to competition and securing a win. “It`s been a while not just with getting back in here but getting back in the win column,” Usman shared. “I battled a lot of things just to get here. Just repairing my body. Just physically, personally, a lot of things I guess the expression would be fight a lot of demons just to get back in here. A lot that I had to go through but thankfully I’m blessed with a great team, great support system, great family and I’m back here.”
Immediately following his win, Usman received congratulations from his peers. Belal Muhammad, who has had a notable rivalry with Usman over the past year, showed particular interest in the result.
Muhammad promptly posted on Twitter after Usman`s victory, stating, “Congrats, see you soon.”
During the post-fight press conference for UFC Atlanta, Usman was asked about the possibility of fighting Muhammad if the promotion decided to book it.
Usman`s response was dismissive: “Who is it? Who’s that? Next.”
This flippant reply from Usman drew a sharp retort from Muhammad, who brought up a previously unreleased podcast episode they recorded together which allegedly ended in a physical altercation.
Muhammad fired back on social media, writing, “The guy who made you cry on your podcast.”
While this brief exchange captured some attention, Usman never wavered from his primary objective: earning another opportunity to reclaim the welterweight championship he held for over three years.
Currently, the reigning champion Jack Della Maddalena is scheduled to face former lightweight king Islam Makhachev later this year, though the specific date has not yet been determined.
Usman expressed confidence that he is the most logical challenger for the winner of that upcoming title bout, indicating that this is the only fight he is focused on right now.
Explaining his position, Usman stated, “Let’s be honest, I’m the biggest in the division, this is about entertainment. The UFC is an entertainment company. You want make the biggest fights. It’s going to be the winner of [Jack Della Maddalena] and Islam [Makhachev].”
He added, “If Islam pulls that one out, former pound-for-pound [best]-current pound-for-pound [best]—who doesn’t pay for that?”
Usman had positive remarks about Makhachev`s potential impact at 170 pounds but was also quick to caution against assuming his move to the division automatically guarantees him a championship.
Praising Della Maddalena, Usman said, “JDM is no slouch, let’s not look past JDM. I said that in his last fight, he went out there and he showed you guys, don’t look past him. He’s very, very talented.”
Regarding the potential title clash, he continued, “Islam is extremely talented. I love Islam. I think him coming in makes that division a lot more interesting. If he’s able to get in there and wrestle that belt away from JDM, former pound-for-pound, current pound-for-pound, I mean I think everybody wants to watch that.”
Despite his interest in the Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev title fight, Usman declined to offer a prediction on the outcome.
Instead, Usman plans to observe the fight unfold, positioning himself as the next contender for the championship.
Usman concluded, “I’ll be watching that fight. I’ll take the winner.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely