Francis Ngannou stood side-by-side with Kamaru Usman forward of his return to the octagon.
Usman returns to motion for the primary time in almost two years to face Joaquin Buckley in the primary occasion of UFC Atlanta this Saturday at State Farm Enviornment. After the previous welterweight champ and surging contender efficiently made weight Friday morning, they stepped on the dimensions for ceremonial weigh-ins Friday afternoon. As Usman made his entrance, Ngannou, the previous UFC heavyweight champion, was with him on stage.
From there, Usman and Buckley engaged in a fiery last faceoff the place no man needed to interrupt. Take a look at the staredown beneath.
Usman appears to be like to keep away from a four-fight dropping streak in his first combat since October 2023. “The Nigerian Nightmare” moved as much as middleweight for a short-notice matchup with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, dropping a aggressive resolution. Previous to that, Usman misplaced two straight championship fights to Leon Edwards.
Buckley is undefeated since shifting to the welterweight division, together with a powerful 4-0 run in 2024. “New Mansa” capped off a large yr with a lopsided TKO win over Colby Covington in the primary occasion of UFC Tampa this previous December.
