Kamaru Usman outlines "map" toward potential UFC title shots at welterweight and middleweight after Joaquin Buckley clash

Kamaru Usman recently shared his thoughts on what could be at stake for his upcoming bout against Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 69 this Saturday. Usman assessed the current landscape of the welterweight and middleweight divisions and outlined how he can earn potential title shots in each division.

Usman's bout against Buckley will mark his first since 2023, when he lost a hard-fought split decision to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. Since then, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has been recovering from some nagging injuries and remained in the title picture despite his absence.

MMA Fighting posted a clip from Usman's pre-fight media availability ahead of UFC on ESPN 69, which shows the former welterweight champion vowing to earn a decisive win over Buckley and an immediate title shot. Usman mentioned that he will be next in line for a title shot and plans to move up to middleweight after regaining the welterweight title. He said:

"Just lay out the map right here. Finish Buckley this weekend and then wait for the winner of Islam and JDM, which is gonna be an incredible fight... Win that [welterweight title] and then go ahead and probably vacate. "

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He added:

"Go up, myself [versus] Dricus du Plessis if he is the champion or Khamzat Chimaev [rematch] if Dricus is no longer the champion. If Dricus is the champion, we do that in the first card in Africa. I mean, that's another blockbuster. These are back-to-back blockbuster fights that you tell you grandkids about."

Check out MMA Fighting's post featuring Kamaru Usman's comments below:

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Kamaru Usman opens up on his path to welterweight and middleweight title shots

Kamaru Usman also believes his path to welterweight and middleweight title shots are realistic and logical from a business perspective.

In the aforementioned clip, Usman mentioned that although he hasn't received confirmation that a win over Joaquin Buckley would secure him a title shot, he is optimistic and likes his chances. He said:

"The UFC and the powers that be are very smart men and they do their job, they know how to make money. So, if it makes money, it makes sense. And it's not far-fetched. Any of those plans seem crazy? No. So, I think I am in a position to where we could potentially make those things happen."

Check out the fight promo for Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley below:

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Giancarlo Aulino is an MMA news writer and interviewer at Sportskeeda. Having been onboard since 2021, Aulino has written list articles, before transitioning to MMA news writing.

In addition to writing at Sportskeeda, Aulino can be heard on VIBE 105.5FM in Toronto, Canada, where he conducts interviews called 'VIBEtalks.' Aulino's segments have featured many respected athletes, broadcasters, and celebrities. In 2024, Aulino, along with his VIBE 105 Sports team members, rebranded their content to The Game Plan 'TGP'.

In addition to MMA, Aulino was previously a pro wrestling writer and soccer (Football) reporter and covered Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) and York United FC (Canadian Premier League).

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Edited by Tejas Rathi