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Kamaru Usman secured a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta last weekend. According to John McCarthy, the outcome of the fight ultimately benefited the promotion, which saw Usman's comeback and Buckley's determination to win.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' ended his three-fight losing streak by defeating Buckley, who was on a six-fight winning streak.
In a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy explained why he considered the UFC Atlanta main event a win-win situation for the promotion, saying:
"It was the one thing that I was worried about... Kamaru had started his career as a wrestler... He was undefeated doing it, except for, early on his career, one fight. And you look, you go, all that time, he becomes this guy that likes the striking. I thought if he was going to fight Joaquin Buckley, he can win it... But he's got to go back to his wrestling."
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He added:
"And god damn it, Kamaru Usman wrestled again... Great performance by him overall, but... when you're looking at it, if you're the UFC, you're also happy with Buckley... You're looking for guys that are dogs that don't quit... So, I think you got a win-win for the UFC here. You got a win bringing in Kamaru Usman back into the win column, and... You still have a win with Joaquin Buckley because he looked like a guy going after the victory, all the way to the very end."
Check out John McCarthy's comments below (2:50):
Kamaru Usman eyes for welterweight title next
Kamaru Usman was one of the dominant champions in the UFC welterweight division. Currently, Jack Della Maddalena is expected to defend his 170-pound championship against Islam Makhachev.
During the post-fight press conference for UFC Atlanta, Usman called his shots as the next contender for the title, saying:
"Absolutely [I want the title shot next]... Let’s be honest, I’m the biggest in the division, and this is about entertainment; the UFC is an entertainment company. You want to make the biggest fight, it’s gonna be the winner of [Jack Della Maddalena] vs. Islam [Makhachev]. If Islam pulls that one out, the former pound-for-pound vs the current pound-for-pound, who doesn’t pay for that?"
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below (17:11):
