Francis Ngannou stood side-by-side with Kamaru Usman ahead of his return to the octagon.
Usman returns to action for the first time in nearly two years to face Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta this Saturday at State Farm Arena. After the former welterweight champ and surging contender successfully made weight Friday morning, they stepped on the scale for ceremonial weigh-ins Friday afternoon. As Usman made his entrance, Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, was with him on stage.
Francis Ngannou joined Kamaru Usman on stage at #UFCAtlanta ceremonial weigh-ins! pic.twitter.com/N69mWlldCc
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 13, 2025
From there, Usman and Buckley engaged in a fiery final faceoff where no man wanted to break. Check out the staredown below.
NEITHER WILL BACK DOWN FROM THIS ONE @Usman84KG vs @NewMansa94
[ #UFCAtlanta | TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus | 10pmET ] pic.twitter.com/duJa2xfbuc— UFC (@ufc) June 13, 2025
Usman looks to avoid a four-fight losing streak in his first fight since October 2023. “The Nigerian Nightmare” moved up to middleweight for a short-notice matchup with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, losing a competitive decision. Prior to that, Usman lost two straight championship fights to Leon Edwards.
Buckley is undefeated since moving to the welterweight division, including an impressive 4-0 run in 2024. “New Mansa” capped off a massive year with a lopsided TKO win over Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa this past December.
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