UFC legend Kamaru Usman has been encouraged to consider retirement by a fellow UFC icon if he loses to Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta.
As we know, Kamaru Usman is one of the greatest welterweights of all time – and one of the best fighters of his generation. He had an incredible run at the top of the division as champion, and he deserves to be recognised as one of the best we’ve ever seen at 170 pounds. Unfortunately, he’s fallen on hard times in the last few years.
In addition to two losses against Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman also suffered a defeat to Khamzat Chimaev. While it was a close bout, there are still far more questions than answers regarding what the next step is for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.
His next fight comes on June 14 against Joaquin Buckley. In the eyes of Michael Bisping, this is a real crossroads moments for Kamaru Usman.
Michael Bisping’s view on Kamaru Usman’s future
“If Kamaru Usman loses this fight, will that be the end of his career? I’m not throwing any shade,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve got nothing but the greatest respect and deep admiration for Kamaru Usman. He’s a solid human being, he’s an incredible fighter, he’s been a great ambassador for this sport. However, 37 years old, hasn’t been too active, and then if you lose four in a row, maybe it’s time to think about walking away from the sport.
“As I say, I don’t say that lightly. He’s a great guy, but we know Joaquin Buckely is coming into this one revved up. This is the biggest fight of his career. They always are, by the way. But this one is the big one. This one is the final hurdle, this is the one that gets him a title fight, maybe if he’s victorious. He’s only 30 years old.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
