Belal Muhammad shares bold prediction for potential Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley fight
Joaquin Buckley secured a sixth consecutive victory at welterweight when he defeated Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa on Dec. 14. Following his win, 'New Mansa' called out former champion Kamaru Usman.
The surging contender is eager to get his hands on a coveted UFC title shot, and a win over someone of the caliber of Usman would certainly help his cause. Buckley, who is currently ranked at No. 9, will likely move to No.6 in the division following this weekend's win over Covington.
While it is unclear who the promotion will match the Missouri native with next, should he face 'The Nigerian Nightmare', Belal Muhammad has shared his prediction for the fight.
The welterweight champion took to X following Buckley's callout of Usman and wrote:
"Buckley knocks out Usman."
Check out Belal Muhammad's post about Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman below:
'New Mansa' has now secured back-to-back wins over former title challengers. He knocked out Stephen Thompson in sensational fashion at UFC 307 before returning to action in Tampa, where he handed Covington a second consecutive defeat.
Should Buckley face and defeat Usman in his next fight, he will have a strong argument for being next in line for a title shot.
Joaquin Buckley keeps post-fight press conference short with the title on his mind
Joaquin Buckley is on a career-best run since moving from middleweight to welterweight in May 2023. He has won six fights in a row, with four of those wins coming in 2024.
Having finished his last two fights via stoppage, Buckley is surging with confidence. He currently has just one thing on his mind, a shot at the 170-pound title.
During his appearance at the post-event press conference, 'New Mansa' was asked one question by TheMacLife reporter Oscar Willis, afterwhich he called time on the event.
He said:
"My first main event was a big success, I feel like. The whole card was very successful... I felt like my fight shouldn't have been stopped... I feel like 2025 is definitely my year and we're taking over. With this being said, this is a six-fight winning streak. I've got eight knockouts in the UFC, I feel like I've done enough to put myself in a position to fight for that title."
He continued:
"If anything happens where Shavkat [Rakhmonov] or Belal [Muhammad] doesn't step into the octagon, I'm willing to face them. We're gonna keep this nice and short bro, I'm definitely looking to take that throne in 2025."
Check out Joaquin Buckley's interview below: