BTL | Kamaru Usman Shines, No-Sells Belal Muhammad; Plus, UFC Baku, Adesanya vs. Buckley

The UFC octagon heads to Baku for the first time ever, and in the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill faces recent title challenger Khalil Rountree in a high-stakes contest. With the 205-pound division in flux with new champ Magomed Ankalaev at the helm, could the winner get a title shot — and does Hill need a win on Saturday to stay in the title picture? Ahead of Saturday's UFC Baku Fight Night event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew preview the fight card, break down the Hill vs. Rountree main event, and discuss the stakes attached to the scheduled five-round contest. Additionally, they'll discuss the highly anticipated co-main event between Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes, what both fighters gain with a win, the rest of the main card slate, the low-key bangers, answer fan questions, and more! Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jed Meshew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JedKMeshew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UFC is making its debut in Azerbaijan! This Saturday, UFC Baku goes down from Azerbaijan's capital city, headlined by a light heavyweight banger between former champion Jamahal Hill and recent title challenge Khalil Rountree Jr. The card also features a ripping lightweight contest between Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes, and, of course, No Bets Barred is here to break it all down. This week, host Jed Meshew flies solo to talk about UFC Baku. Topics include whether Hill can stop his current losing streak, just how much Jed loves Bahamondes, Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev, multiple women's bantamweight bouts, the latest updates on The Climb, and more. Tune in for episode 130 of No Bets Barred. Follow Jed Meshew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JedKMeshew⁠ Follow Luke Noseda: ⁠⁠@MainCardMinute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to MMA Fighting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our full video catalog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Like MMA Fighting on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown and Damon Martin discuss Kamaru Usman making a triumphant return to the octagon and if his request for a welterweight title shot should be granted. Plus we discuss if Rodolfo Bellato actually faked a knockout to stop his fight with Paul Craig and we debate if Francis Ngannou made a mistake leaving the UFC? All that plus much more! Subscribe to MMA Fighting Check out our full video catalog Like MMA Fighting on Facebook Follow onTwitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamaru Usman reminded everyone why he’s considered one of the greatest welterweights of all time. The UFC Atlanta main event ended with Usman’s hand raised high after a vintage performance against top 10 contender Joaquin Buckley. It had been over 800 days since Usman competed at 170 pounds and it didn’t look like he missed a beat as he grounded Buckley for the better part of five rounds en route to a unanimous decision win. So where does the former champion go from here? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, join MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee as they discuss whether Usman has any other option besides the most glaringly obvious one for his next fight, and where fellow former champion Rose Namajunas goes after holding onto her spot in the flyweight contender line with an impressive win over the streaking Miranda Maverick. Plus, we make matchups for main card winners Edmen Shahbazyan, Raoni Barcelos, Mansur Abdul-Malik, and Alonzo Menifield. All that and the usual fine collection of listener picks. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alexander K. Lee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AlexanderKLee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamaru Usman entered the UFC Atlanta main event against Joaquin Buckley as an underdog for just the third time in his UFC career, but delivered a vintage performance in his first fight in nearly two years. After dominating Buckley, is Usman officially a threat to regain UFC gold? Following Saturday's UFC Fight Night card, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee react to the event, Usman's lopsided win over Buckley, what we learned about both fighters, and what Usman needs to do to get to a title fight. Additionally, they discuss Rose Namajunas' win over Miranda Maverick, Malcolm Wellmaker's sensational knockout, the weirdness that happened in the Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig fight, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alexander K. Lee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AlexanderKLee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices