UFC CEO Dana White Announces the Return of Former Welterweight King Kamaru Usman; Reveals Exact Date of His Next Fight and Opponent

UFC CEO Dana White announced the return of former Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Usman will take on Joaquin Buckley in the main event of the UFC Atlanta Card, which is scheduled to take place on June 14. Kamaru hasn't fought inside the Octagon since October 2023, when he suffered a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev, a fight that he took on short notice.

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Dana White Announces Kamaru Usman's Return

Despite the inactivity, Kamaru Usman has remained 4th in the Welterweight Rankings, thus, a run for the title shot is a big possibility. However, to make the surge for that he would have to get the better of Joaquin Buckley, who is on a 6-fight win spree. Usman on the other hand has been on the losing end in all of his last three fights. Nevertheless, it should be noted that he was a dominant champion, who defended the title 5 times against notable names. The Usman vs Buckley fight will get the attention of the fans, and it will be intriguing to witness whether the 37-year-old Kamaru Usman can once again show the world who he once was.

Besides the main event bout, Dana White also brought forward the fight that will take the co-main event space. It will be a women’s flyweight bout between Rose Namajunas and Miranda Maverick.

Rose Namajunas (13-7) is coming off a loss to Erin Blanchfield, ending her two-fight win streak. She's currently ranked 6th at flyweight and has a 2-2 record since moving up to 125lbs from strawweight.

Miranda Maverick (15-5) is on a four-fight winning streak, including a recent decision win over Jamey-Lyn Horth. Ranked 12th at flyweight, she's 8-3 in the UFC with notable victories over Gillian Robertson, Andrea Lee, and Priscila Cachoeira.