Former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman is officially set to return to action.
On Friday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that Usman will face the in-form welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley in the main event of the upcoming UFC Atlanta card. The event is scheduled to take place on June 14 at the State Farm Arena.
Kamaru Usman (20-4) is a revered former champion who held the welterweight title from 2019 to 2021, successfully defending it five times. However, “The Nigerian Nightmare” is currently experiencing a rare three-fight losing streak. His most recent bout was a short-notice contest at middleweight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, which he lost.
Joaquin Buckley (21-6), conversely, has been on a spectacular run since returning to the welterweight division in 2023. He has secured six consecutive victories, with four of those coming by stoppage. Buckley`s momentum was highlighted by his dominant finish of former interim champion Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa in December.
Serving as the co-main event will be a previously announced women`s flyweight matchup featuring former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (13-7) against the #12 ranked contender Miranda Maverick (15-5).
This event marks the UFC`s fifth trip to Atlanta, but it will be the city`s first time hosting a “Fight Night” branded event. All four prior UFC cards held in Atlanta were Pay-Per-View shows.
The rest of the announced lineup for UFC Atlanta currently includes:
- Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley (Main Event)
- Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick (Co-Main Event)
- Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski
- Cody Brundage vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik
- Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa
- Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Tereza Bleda
