Joaquin Buckley releases statement after UFC Atlanta loss to Kamaru Usman: "You are truly a GOAT"

Joaquin Buckley recently issued a statement following his defeat against Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta. Buckley expressed his admiration for Usman, calling him one of the greatest of all time and emphasized on his strong octagon comeback.

Buckley squared off against Usman in a highly anitcipated welterweight matchup in the main event of UFC Atlanta this past Saturday. The former champion displayed a wrestling masterclass as he repeatedly took down Buckley and controlled the fight as he saw fit. Their contest, which lasted 25 minutes, saw Usman prevail via unanimous decision.

In a recent social media post, Buckley offered his thoughts on losing to Usman. He praised the former champion and voiced confidence in his strong return, saying:

''Look, Atlanta was good to us, baby, We sold out the arena. It was a major opportunity for me to go out there and show up and show out. I truly believe I did that. Especially in the fifth round, we had Usman backing up, trying to get those takedowns. We stuffed every one. But don’t get it twisted. Even though my hand was not raised, I still feel victorious. But still, shout out to Kamaru Usman. You are truly a legend, you are truly a GOAT. Thank you for the opportunity, for allowing me to be able to step into the octagon with you, and grace me with your presence.''

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Buckley added:

''It was a lot of pressure that was on us that night, but I truly feel privileged that I was out there and able to put some worries on that boy, had that boy sweating. It just shows what our real capabilities are. I truly, truly believe we’re going to take this time and get better and come back even stronger.”

Check out Joaquin Buckley's comments below:

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Israel Adesanya is annoyed by Joaquin Buckley's behavior

Joaquin Buckley was confident about his chances against Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta as evidenced by his pre-fight talks. However, he suffered a unanimous decision loss.

Israel Adesanya, who was supporting Usman, recently shared his fight reaction in his YouTube video. Adesanya voiced his displeasure with Buckley, saying:

''I hate this ni***, bro. I don’t even use the word hate lightly, but I hate this ni***, bro. Something about him just fu*king annoys me. Like, literally, I’m just trying to chill talk, [then Buckley is] like, hey man, we gotta get this going… Like he’s rapping to me every single time.''

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below:

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About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena