Announcements
Usman And Buckley Collide In Atlanta, Fiziev Faces Bahamondes In Baku
UFC CEO Dana White Announces Bouts For Events In Atlanta And Baku
UFC CEO Dana White went live on his Instagram to announce a handful of bouts hitting the Octagon in June. First came the news that former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will make his return against Joaquin Buckly, which will headline UFC’s June 14 event in Atlanta. For the event’s co-main, former champion Rose Namajunas faces rising flyweight Miranda Maverick.
The main event represents Usman’s first fight since October 2023 when he stepped up on short-notice to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. A middleweight bout, Usman fought valiantly but ultimately dropped the majority decision, his third loss in a row. As he returns to his former kingdom at 170 pounds, he faces a young, hungry and red-hot Buckley, who rides into Georgia on a 6-fight winning streak. The 30-year-old Buckley picked up four wins in 2024 alone, including stoppage victories over Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington. With the belt going up for grabs on May 10 at UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena, either man could position himself well for a crack at gold later in 2025.
Namajunas readies to make her first walk of 2025 hoping to bounce back from a decision loss to Erin Blanchfield in November 2024. Previous to that result, “Thug” was making headway in the flyweight division, capturing main event victories over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez. The 32-year-old 2-time strawweight champion still has aspirations of capturing a second belt but must turn away the streaking Maverick. The 27-year-old comes into the bout having won her last four bouts, including three wins in 2024, and she appears to be on the precipice of her prime after entering the promotion as a 22-year-old in October 2020.
White also shed light on UFC’s June 22 event in Baku. With the postponed main event between former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. slated in the top spot, lightweight striking savants Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes will serve as the co-main event.
Fiziev, who represents Azerbaijan, seeks his first win since July 2022. The Muay Thai specialist rode a 6-fight winning streak to the top of the lightweight division until losing a majority decision to Justin Gaaethje at UFC 286. A major knee injury suffered against Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023 kept him out of action for the next 18 months. In a surprising turn of events, he stepped in to replace Dan Hooker at UFC 313 and faced Gaethje for a second time, once again falling to “The Highlight” on the scorecards.
At 32 years old, Fiziev is now tasked with cementing his place in the top-15 against the streaking Bahamondes. “La Jaula” is in the best form of his young career, stringing together three consecutive first-round stoppages. The 27-year-old Chilean has now won six of his eight Octagon appearances after earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, and, after submitting Jalin Turner at UFC 313, hopes to break into the top-15 for the first time in his career.
Stay tuned to UFC.com to keep track of all announcements and updates regarding fights and events.