After Snapping Near 4-Year Winless Run At UFC Atlanta, “Inspiring” Kamaru Usman Praised By Francis Ngannou

Former UFC champ Kamaru Usman logged a first win at 170 lbs in nearly four years at UFC Atlanta; friend Francis Ngannou is all here for it.

After Snapping Near 4-Year Winless Run At UFC Atlanta, “Inspiring” Kamaru Usman Praised By Francis Ngannou

Kamaru Usman’s UFC Atlanta victory draws high praise from Francis Ngannou (Source: X)

Kamaru Usman left the Octagon on the ‘W’ column at UFC Atlanta for the first time since 2021. “Nigerian Nightmare” entered the UFC on ESPN 69 main event against Joaquin Buckley with heavy odds stacked. There was supposed to be ring rust, but the former welterweight king put on a vintage performance and drew a win. It has gotten quite the praise from friend Francis Ngannou.

Buckley was the betting favorite going into the fight and a standout story, riding a six-fight winning streak. However, it took a wrestle-heavy Kamaru Usman thirty seconds to shoot and thwart the momentum. From half-guard lock to top-mount short strikes; to making “New Mansa” uncomfortably jagged against the fence, Usman did it all.

While Buckley threatened with some combos, Round 3 onwards, the former champ took the cake on most of it and sent the rising contender back to the pack. At the end of it, Kamaru Usman defeated him via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). Francis Ngannaou, 1/3 of the original African Kings, later pitched in on the performance:

Congrats to my brother @USMAN84kg for his amazing victory last night. It’s inspiring to see him do that after all he’s been through lately.
Congrats to @Newmansa94 on his impressive performance. That round 5!

Francis Ngannou via X (@francis_ngannou)

After a highly publicized split in 2023, the ex-UFC heavyweight champ has been stewing in hot pools, as CEO Dana White has refused to do business with Ngannou anymore. However, every now and then, “Predator” does come up in super fight deliberations.

While in the roster, the dominant Francis Ngannou did leave quite a mark, with wins over Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Alistair Overeem to stretch his title reign. Notably, the Cameroonian was also a surprise addition who accompanied Usman during the UFC on ESPN 69 fan Ceremonial weigh-ins and staredowns. It bolstered some hope of a UFC comeback.

Awaiting to make his combat sports return after the PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view, Ngannou thus took inspiration from Kamaru Usman’s performance in Atlanta and penned a message. For his part, Buckley has broken his social media silence as well, after the loss.

Joaquin Buckley praise Kamaru Usman’s wrestling at UFC Atlanta

Then 11-4 UFC at the start of 2024, Buckley was a neat 2-0 on wins with his drop down to welterweight. His run at middleweight was modest but not all that. He kick-started that contender spark with a knockout of perennial contender Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54 in March.

Kamaru Usman’s opponent opens up about UFC Atlanta loss
Kamaru Usman’s opponent opens up about UFC Atlanta loss (Source: X)

“New Mansa” swiftly petitioned for a place at UFC on ESPN 56 in his home state of Missouri in May. Buckley got his wish. He defeated Nursulton Ruziboev with grit and strength. After that second assignment, he managed to check veteran striker Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson with a third-round POTN finish.

He also finished Colby Covington via TKO doctor stoppage at Tampa and doubled down on the Kamaru Usman legacy option, finally drawing him for UFC Atlanta. However, his championship contender ceiling took a hit, with Kamaru Usman proving he has still got it and is a level above.

A recent IG post by Buckley offered his thoughts on his performance at UFC Atlanta.

Hand wasn’t raised last night but I am still victorious and will be one of the greats
This trip has been beyond amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing …I just didn’t execute like I know I could… we wanted to land early damage on Usman and get him moving back but he did a good job neutralizing threats with takedowns…
Excited about the welterweight division
See ya when I see ya

Joauin Buckley via IG Reels


After watching Usman vs. Buckley unfold from the front row, Francis Ngannou praised his performance during the last round and amping up his striking threat, round three onwards. This is what Buckley even referenced in his message. For now, he will be looking forward to returning to the board and chalking out a new plan to be a top contender.

Also Read: