Kamaru Usman Tells Trolls to 'Shut the F--k Up,' Calls Himself Boogeyman After UFC Win

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was riding high immediately after earning a unanimous decision over Joaquin Buckley on Saturday night.

"I know it's a running joke," he said in reference to the notion he was basically washed," per MMA Fighting's Damon Martin. "Everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s--t. Oh his knees, his knees! Well shut the f--k up, I can still do what I do."

Usman also made it clear he's just getting started again.

"I can do that to anybody," he said. "Any one of them. Those knockouts will come, I just needed this monkey off my back. The rest of the welterweight division, listen — I have been and always will be the f--king boogeyman."

UFC 268 in 2021 was the last time Usman got into the win column. He was knocked out by Leon Edwards at UFC 278 and then went the distance in losing efforts to Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.

Between his age (38) and a three-fight losing streak, it was fair to wonder how much Usman had left in the tank. Even legendary fighters can fall off relatively quickly as they get deeper into their 30s.

The Nigerian Nightmare was downright dominant against Buckley, the No. 7-ranked fighter in the welterweight division. He landed 25 signature strikes to six for Buckley and outclassed his opponent with his wrestling ability.

Plenty of fans will be curious about what's next for Usman.

Pitting him against welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena might be a step too far. Granting a title opportunity to someone with one win in four years would likely generate some criticism, even with a star as decorated as Usman.

Belal Muhammad, who dropped the belt at UFC 315, appears ready to step up to the plate:

Regardless of who he fights, Usman earned another headline slot with his performance against Buckley.