Anticipated Comeback Bout Speculated for Previous UFC Titleholder

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Anticipated Comeback Bout Speculated for Previous UFC Titleholder

Kamaru Usman, previously crowned UFC welterweight champion, remains a hot topic despite his last fight happening back in October 2023. Contenders like Joaquin Buckley and Ian Machado Garry have publicly expressed their frustration due to Usman's refusal to engage in a bout following their calls out.

Buckley vented after his victorious performance against Colby Covington, while Garry shared his discontentment over Usman's indecision. However, it seems the latter is set to face Jack Della Maddalena in a highly anticipated UFC 312 event in Sydney, Australia. The news was leaked by welterweight contender Sean Brady and later confirmed by MMA Frenzy and Tapology.

Usman finds himself on a three-match losing streak before his potential UFC 312 encounter. His title was lost in August 2022 due to a shocking head-kick KO delivered by Leon Edwards, who had previously been defeated by Usman in December 2015. In their rematch, Edwards secured a majority decision victory. Usman also had a brief stint in the middleweight division, where he faced Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023, only to lose the fight by majority decision.

Despite these losses, Usman had been dominating his opponents before the shocking KO. The other two defeats were majority-decision losses, all against world-class contenders. At 37, Usman might have to overcome a significant layoff as he prepares for his fight against Maddalena, who has been out of the Octagon for almost a year.

Maddalena, a 28-year-old Australian, brings a 17-match win streak, including an undefeated record in the UFC. His most recent victory was a brutal third-round KO against Gilbert Burns in March. The No. 4-ranked middleweight harbors hopes of avenging Usman's victory in the past and potentially securing a title shot with the win.

Here are the probable match-ups confirmed for UFC 312:

  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland
  • Middleweight (185 lbs)
  • Weili Zhang vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Strawweight (115 lbs)
  • Kamaru Usman vs. Jack Della Maddalena
  • Welterweight (170 lbs)
  • Rei Tsuruya vs. Stewart Nicoll
  • Flyweight (125 lbs)
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio
  • Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)
  • Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli
  • Lightweight (155 lbs)
  • Tallison Teixeira vs. Justin Tafa
  • Heavyweight (265 lbs)
  • Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
  • Lightweight (155 lbs)

With Buckley and Garry potentially locking horns instead, UFC Tampa's last event of 2024 showcased the following results:

UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley Results

  • Joaquin Buckley defeats Colby Covington by TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 4:42 of Round 3
  • Cub Swanson defeats Billy Quarantillo by KO (right hand) at 1:36 of Round 3
  • Manel Kape defeats Bruno Silva by TKO (strikes) at 1:57 of Round 3
  • Dustin Jacoby defeats Vitor Petrino by KO (right hand) at 3:44 of Round 3
  • Daniel Marcos defeats Adrian Yanez by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Navajo Stirling defeats Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Michael Johnson defeats Ottman Azaitar by KO (right hook) at 2:03 of Round 2
  • Joel Álvarez defeats Drakkar Klose by KO (flying knee) at 2:48 of Round 1
  • Sean Woodson defeats Fernando Padilla by TKO (strikes) at 4:58 of Round 1
  • Felipe Lima defeats Miles Johns by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Miranda Maverick defeats Jamey-Lyn Horth by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Davey Grant defeats Ramon Taveras by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Piera Rodriguez defeats Josefine Knutsson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  1. Kamaru Usman's next fight will be against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 312, as revealed by Sean Brady and confirmed by MMA Frenzy and Tapology.
  2. Despite his recent losses, Kamaru Usman is set to face a formidable opponent in Della Maddalena, who has a 17-match win streak and has been away from the Octagon for almost a year.
  3. UFC Tampa's last event in 2024 saw Joaquin Buckley defeat Colby Covington by TKO, while Garry expressed his discontentment over Usman's indecision.
  4. In the meantime, Jack Della Maddalena's next fight, following his victory against Gilbert Burns, could potentially avenge his past loss to Usman and secure a title shot.

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