Kamaru Usman breaks down in tears after picking up first win in nearly four years vs Buckley at UFC Atlanta

The Irish Sun

9 hours ago

KAMARU USMAN was moved to tears after winning his do-or-die octagon return.
The former welterweight and pound-for-pound king returned to the cage for the first time in 20 months early
this morning
in the main event of UFC Atlanta against Jaoquin Buckley.
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Kamaru Usman returned to the octagon against Jaoquin Buckley at UFC Atanta
Credit: GETTY
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The fomer welterweight king rolled back the year to return to the win column
Credit: GETTY
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Usman, 38, cut an emotional figure after picking up his first win in nearly four years
Credit: UFC
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The Nigerian Nightmare broken down in tears in his post-fight interview
Credit: UFC
There were serious concerns that Usman's time at the top was a thing of the past following three straight losses to Leon Edwards and
But the 38-year-old rolled back the years with a suffocating display across five rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory courtesy of 49–46, 49–46, 48–47 scorecards.
An emotional
"I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level.
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"Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that, very talented, very aggressive, you've got to pull out the skills and use your experience.
"And that's what I did tonight."
Usman insists victory over the surging Buckley has shown his detractors he's still very much at the top of his game.
He said: 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***, 'Oh, his knees, his knees.'
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Kamaru Usman has called his shot at becoming a two-time welterweight champion
Credit: GETTY
"Well, shut the f*** up, I can still do what I do.
"I could do that to anybody [in the welterweight division], any one of them.
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UFC star Kamaru Usman teases two-and-a-half stone weight gain in workout
"But like I said, I needed to get that monkey off my back.
"Early on in my career as I was rolling, once I had that monkey off my back and I knew I was rolling, I was able to open up.
"And you guys saw those spectacular knockouts. I still got them in there.'
Following his dominant return to the win column, Usman has set his sights on becoming a two-time king of the welterweights.
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He roared: 'I have been, and always will be, the f**king boogeyman."