Ali Abdelaziz sees big things on the horizon for Kamaru Usman if he can rebound against Joaquin Buckley.

Former welterweight champion Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) will look to snap a three-fight losing skid when he takes on Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) June 14 in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

If Usman beats Buckley, Abdelaziz can see him emerging as the next title challenger to face the winner of welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev. But with Abdelaziz managing both Usman and Makhachev, could a potential fight between his clients happen?

"He's the greatest welterweight of all time," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie of Usman. "He's Dana White's favorite fighter. Dana loves Kamaru Usman, 100 percent. Like, they have a very unique relationship. Listen, Kamaru is one of the biggest names in the division.

"Guess what? If Kamaru wins, Islam wins, they want to fight, I'm going to stay home, and I'm going to be watching from home. You know, I can see this fight happening too. But listen, Buckley's tough, he's been on a good run, and you have to kind of focus on Buckley first before you think anything else."

Usman returns for the first time since a majority decision loss to No. 1 middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev on short notice in October 2023. Despite the long layoff, Abdelaziz ensures that Usman is in peak form.

"I was in Denver last week. I went and trained with Kamaru. He's an absolute specimen," Abdelaziz continued. "He's an absolute nightmare. I'm 195 pounds, and we always grapple. I did OK with everyone in the gym. He's a beast right now. He is focused, he's healthy, I can't ask for more. He's ready. Buckley is going to have a long, long night if he's not ready. A long one, like a (Tyron) Woodley night."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Manager sheds light on potential Islam Makhachev vs. Kamaru Usman bout

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