Kamaru Usman responded to Joaquin Buckley‘s callout by expressing his openness to fight him or any other contender, but emphasized that it will be on his terms and schedule.
Kamaru Usman heard Joaquin Buckley mention his name and has a response for the rising welterweight star. After Buckley’s victory over Colby Covington at UFC Tampa, he took the opportunity to call out several 170-pound fighters, including Usman, Leon Edwards, and Belal Muhammad. Among these names, Usman’s stood out.
On his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman addressed the callout. He made it clear that he’s open to fighting Buckley—or anyone else—but it’ll be on his terms. "I feel like the hot chick at the bar; everybody wants a piece," Usman quipped. "No one’s listening to what I’m saying."
Usman emphasized that he won’t compete unless he’s ready, which is why he’s been on a layoff. When healthy, though? He’s game for anyone: Shavkat Rakhmonov, Belal, Ian Machado Garry, Buckley, Jack Della Maddalena—bring ’em on.
Usman was ringside at Amalie Arena to watch Covington and potentially scout Buckley as his next opponent. During much of the fight, Buckley dominated Covington in standup exchanges. The bout ended early due to a doctor stoppage from a nasty cut over Covington’s eye.
From what he observed, Usman feels confident about matching up against Buckley. "I remember watching going, ‘Oh, I like that fight,’" he said. Though Covington managed some takedowns, Usman believes their wrestling styles differ significantly.
He noted how Buckley performed well against Covington despite the latter’s long hiatus. "Shout out to Buckley," Usman remarked. Buckley didn’t let Covington shake off any ring rust easily.
Recently, Usman faced fan backlash for not taking a short-notice fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. He clarified that he’s ready to face anyone and aims to reclaim dominance in the division.
"I don’t mind who it is," Usman reiterated. "When I’m healthy, I’ll whoop every one of y’all." He’s already conquered the division once and is prepared to do it again.
If a showdown with Buckley isn’t in the cards, Usman suggests another matchup for the contender: Ian Machado Garry. Garry was initially set to face Buckley but ended up losing to Rakhmonov at UFC 310 after an impressive 16-fight winning streak.
"[Garry] might not want to re-book with Buckley," Usman suggested. But coming off a loss, Garry’s not really in a position to decline such fights if he wants another title shot. It’s a chance to stop a streaking fighter like Buckley and stay in contention.