Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has brushed off Joaquin Buckley’s callout.
Buckley (21-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) issued a challenge to Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) after scoring a third-round knockout of former title challenger Stephen Thompson on Saturday at UFC 307. Buckley is now 5-0 at welterweight in the UFC and was praised by Daniel Cormier for his callout. Usman dismissed Buckley but didn’t imply that he wouldn’t fight him if offered.
“Take a number and get in line,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “I believe he’s probably, what, the 10th, 11th guy? I don’t know how many guys have called me out. It is what it is. It’s obviously, like DC said, it’s a more reasonable callout for him because he is on the streak. He’s been doing good work inside there. I believe he was losing that fight, and it was just a way to be relentless and find the shot eventually to get that finish. So, you know, hats off to him.
“He did a great job. If that’s the fight, then that’s the fight. If it’s not, it’s not. Obviously right now I’m working on myself and trying to get myself back, because I’ve fought injured for so long to where I achieved all the things I’ve achieved, but at some point it does catch up to you. You have to sit down and correct some of those mistakes. But, like I said, I ain’t going nowhere. I’m still here, and eventually I will get in there and show the people that I am once again the king.”
Usman, 37, hasn’t competed since a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight in October 2023. The short-notice setback to Chimaev was his third straight after suffering back-to-back title losses to Leon Edwards.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
