Former champion Kamaru Usman is set to make his return to action.
The UFC officially announced on Friday that Usman will face surging welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley. Their fight will serve as the main event for UFC Atlanta, scheduled for June 14 at State Farm Arena.
Usman (20-4) previously reigned as the UFC Welterweight Champion from 2019 to 2021, successfully defending his belt five times. However, “The Nigerian Nightmare” enters this fight following a three-fight losing streak. His most recent appearance was a short-notice middleweight loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
Joaquin Buckley (21-6), on the other hand, has been on an impressive run since moving back to welterweight in 2023, securing six consecutive victories, four of which were finishes. His last outing saw him stop former interim champion Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa in December.
Serving as the co-main event will be a women`s flyweight clash between former two-time strawweight titleholder Rose Namajunas (13-7) and the #12 ranked contender, Miranda Maverick (15-5). This bout was announced previously.
This marks the UFC`s fifth visit to Atlanta, but it will be the city`s first time hosting a Fight Night event, as all four prior visits were pay-per-view cards.
Here is a look at the announced fights for UFC Atlanta:
- Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick
- 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
