Kamaru Usman eyes fight with Joaquin Buckley after UFC Tampa call out: ‘I feel like the hot chick at the bar’

Former undisputed welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman has claimed he is open to a host of fights when he is healthy enough to compete again — including against Joaquin Buckley, after the he received a call out from the surging contender after his UFC Fight Night Tampa main event win.

Usman, who has been sidelined since October of last year, made an impromptu middleweight move, forcing the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev the distance in a controversial majority decision loss at UFC 294.

The defeat came as Auchi native, Usman’s third consecutively, following prior back-to-back title fight losses to Leon Edwards at the welterweight limit.

Kamaru Usman open to Joaquin Buckley fight in UFC comeback clash

As for Buckley, the during St. Louis native headlined his first promotional event at UFC Tampa over the weekend, forcing a third round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over common-foe and former interim gold holder, Colby Covington after opening a significant cut over his right eye.

And staking his claim for a title eliminator clash with Usman next, Buckley may even get his wishes, with the Nigerian veteran claiming he was open to the pairing in the future once he is free to compete again.

“I feel like the hot chick at the bar,” Kamaru Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “Everybody wants a piece, but hey, it’s almost like no one’s listening to what I’m saying. No one’s getting what I’m saying. I don’t care who it is.”

“I remember watching and I’m going, ‘Oh, I like that fight,’ I really like that matchup,” Kamaru Usman said. “(Colby) Covington took him (Joaquin Buckley) down a couple of times. Obviously me and Covington, we utilize the wrestling differently in how we approach fights. Most people know when I take you down, you’re not getting up unless I want you to get up.”