“Check on Dana White” – Fans Stunned as Francis Ngannou Walks Out with Kamaru Usman at UFC Face-offs

UFC veteran Kamaru Usman invites his African friend Francis Ngannou during the weigh-ins at UFC Atlanta.

“Check on Dana White” – Fans Stunned as Francis Ngannou Walks Out with Kamaru Usman at UFC Face-offs

Kamaru Usman gets support from Francis Ngannou at UFC Atlanta (via MMA Fighting)

UFC Atlanta takes place this weekend with Kamaru Usman facing rising contender Joaquin Buckley in a highly anticipated welterweight clash. Despite being a former champion, Usman enters the bout as an underdog due to Buckley’s explosive style and recent win streak. At weigh-ins, Usman shocked fans by arriving with powerhouse Francis Ngannou, symbolizing unity and strength from Africa’s finest warriors.

Usman, Ngannou, and Israel Adesanya were once dominant African Kings, each reigning supreme in their respective UFC weight divisions. Their reigns inspired millions, but Usman and Adesanya have struggled recently, losing titles and falling out of championship contention. At weigh-ins, Ngannou’s surprise appearance reignited excitement, as fans cheered seeing the legendary friends reunited on the UFC stage.

Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 after failed contract talks with Dana White and UFC management. He demanded fighter rights like long-term health insurance, sponsorship freedom, and the ability to box professionally outside UFC contracts. White claimed Ngannou didn’t truly want to fight, sparking intense backlash from fans and fellow fighters online.

Ngannou clapped back on social media, accusing White of lying and disrespecting athletes who risk everything for limited pay and control. Since then, the UFC has tried everything in its power to erase Ngannou’s record from the UFC but was called out by Izzy.

Following his departure, the Cameroonian-French star participated in various high-profile boxing bouts against the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. After that, he made his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira and won the fight via a brutal KO, to revive his MMA dominance.

Recently, he was in verbal conflict with the current heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a superfight. However, the UFC boss was quick to shut down any assumptions about ‘The Predator’ getting back in the promotion.

Fight fans reacts to Kamaru Usman bringing Francis Ngannou to UFC Atlanta weigh-ins

In his prime years in UFC, Francis Ngannou was unstoppable, running through legends such as Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, etc. Despite his controversial history with UFC, Ngannou is still one of the most popular fighters in the MMA community. As expected, he was welcomed with loud cheers and the fighter was pleased to hear this.

Kamaru Usman goes face to face with Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta
Kamaru Usman goes face to face with Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta (via X)

Kamaru Usman was hyped too and had an intense faceoff with Joaquin Buckley. The welterweight veteran is currently on a three-fight losing streak and is desperate for a win. Nevertheless, here are some reactions from fans following Ngannou’s visit.

Buckley is currently on a six-fight win streak and in his last bout, he dismantled Colby Covington. The fighter wants to continue the same momentum and potentially get his hands on the title shot. Going into the fight, top welterweight contender Sean Brady, on his podcast, shared his views on the fight.

I am picking Buckley to win, but I think it’s gonna be a lot more competitive than people think. Usman’s only been knocked out one time in his career. Buckley’s been knocked out multiple times, so there’s always that chance of Usman getting him out of there. I just think that Buckley’s just gonna be a little bit too young, a little bit too physical, and just be able to stuff some of Kamaru’s takedowns. He might get taken down a little bit, but I think he’s just gonna edge him out. I don’t think he’s gonna be able to get him out of there, though.

Sean Brady via his podcast

The UFC welterweight division is currently stacked from top to bottom and the pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev, is coming up. Given the landscape, anybody can get a shot at any point and will have to make the most out of it. It will be interesting to see whether ‘New Mansa’ delivers to his hype this weekend.

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