UFC Announces Return Of 2 Former Champions At Massive Event In Atlanta

Forbes

26-04-2025

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: UFC CEO Dana White holds a press conference after the UFC 313 event at ... More T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Dana White did it again. He took to Instagram Live on Friday night and announced a flurry of fights that took over the top new spot in combat sports for the evening.
White announced the return of two former champions, Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas, as they will be fighting in the main and co-main event of UFC Atlanta on June 14. The official UFC X account followed up with a post.
Usman, arguably the greatest welterweight champion in UFC history and still ranked No. 4 in the division, will take on fast-rising contender Joaquin Buckley in the main event.
Buckley comes into the fight on a six-fight winning streak and fresh off a TKO victory over Colby Covington in December 2024. Buckley has title aspirations, but he will need to take care of Usman before he can take the next step.
Namajunas, the former two-time UFC women's strawweight champion now competing at flyweight, will face Miranda Maverick in the co-main event. Maverick is getting a major step-up in competition.
She comes in ranked No. 12 at 125 pounds and Namajunas is No. 6. Maverick is on a four-fight winning streak and coming off a unanimous decision win over Jamie-Lyn Horth on the same card in December that saw Buckley defeat Covington.
Both Usman and Namajunas are in must-win situations if they hope to continue to consider themselves serious title contenders. Usman, 37, is on a three-fight losing streak, though his last two defeats came by way of majority decisions to Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
Usman's last fight, a last-minute replacement clash with Chimaev at middleweight, came in October 2023. Since then, he has spent time rehabbing injuries, co-hosting his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, and preparing for his Octagon return.
Namajunas, 32, has been active, but she dropped her last fight, a unanimous decision defeat to Erin Blanchfield in November 2024. Namajunas needs another win at flyweight to prove she can hang with the best in the division.
The rest of the card set for UFC Atlanta looks pretty strong too. Here is a look at what's signed according to Tapology:
White is in Kansas City for the UFC's card scheduled for Saturday, April 26, and he also announced the co-main event for UFC Baku on June 21. Rafael Fiziev will take on Ignacio Bahamondes. Khalil Rountree Jr. faces Jamahal Hill in the main event.
Ian Machado Garry faces Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City, but UFC Atlanta is already pulling some attention away with the sheer star power attached.
Buckley's recent momentum and Usman's status as a former pound-for-pound king make the headliner compelling. Namajunas vs. Maverick could sneak up on fans if both women fight to their potential.
The UFC's summer schedule is still coming into shape, but Atlanta may end up being one of the better non-PPV cards of the year if these matchups hold together. With both Usman and Namajunas needing wins to stay relevant in their divisions, and the rise of Buckley and Maverick providing hungry opposition, there is a formula for two very interesting fights with high stakes.