“With him not having no knees? Joaquin Buckley didn’t hold back as he issued a stern warning to Kamaru Usman ahead of their UFC Atlanta main event showdown. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has openly talked about his ongoing knee struggles, and it’s been the biggest concern before every recent fight. This time is no different, with the spotlight on Usman’s condition brighter than ever.

The former 170-pound king has been dragging around wrecked knees for years. And still, he showed up, fight after fight, without ever letting on just how bad it was. Now, with UFC Atlanta creeping up fast, it’s worth digging into Usman’s long, painful history with that brutal knee injury before he collides with Buckley inside the Octagon. 

Kamaru Usman Knee Injury: History & Severity

Rumors about Kamaru Usman’s knee issues caught fire after Leon Edwards ended his reign with that iconic head kick at UFC 278. And when the former champ was spotted training in knee braces ahead of their UFC 286 rematch, it only poured fuel on the fire. Naturally, the questions started flooding in.

Usman later cleared the air, revealing that years of grinding through wrestling practices took a serious toll on his knees. According to him, it wasn’t just one injury. It was the 10 years of training in wrestling. He even admitted to going through multiple meniscus surgeries, but insisted things were never as severe. 

During an interview with the Mirror, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ said, “My knee pain has been bad for 10 years, I’ve had multiple meniscus surgeries, and this is just from wrestling. “I was so hard on my body wrestling because I just wanted to be the champion, I wanted to get there. I was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to get there, but my knee pain has been bad since I crossed over to MMA. It hasn’t stopped me.”

The welterweight legend has offered a closer look at the injury over time. But it was UFC color commentator Joe Rogan who dropped some truly shocking and, honestly, concerning details that left fans stunned.

Joe Rogan on Usman’s Knee Injury

Joe Rogan likes to talk about all kinds of topics, but MMA always finds its way back into the spotlight. So when he brought up Kamaru Usman’s knee issues, things got real. Rogan claimed it was so bad that Usman couldn’t even walk on concrete because of the pain—he had to walk on grass just to get around and do the daily chores. 

During an episode of the Hotboxin podcast with Mike Tyson, Joe Rogan didn’t hold back. “He’s that guy that’s just a bulletproof-mindset champion. That’s what sets him apart from everybody,” Rogan said. “You know Usman’s knees are f—d. Both his knees are f—d. He can’t run. He said he has to sometimes walk on the grass instead of concrete because it hurts his knees so much.”

But that wasn’t the end of it. On another podcast with Sean O’Malley, Rogan doubled down, pointing out that Usman’s knees could absolutely be a target for future opponents. Kamaru Usman caught wind of what the UFC color commentator said about his injuries, and he jumped in to clarify things once again. Speaking on the Valuetainment podcast, Usman confirmed that he had to close his eyes and walk around like Michael Jackson for years just to deal with the pain.

Usman also opened up in 2023 about undergoing cell therapy, which helped ease the pain and keep things under control. But now, with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ gearing up for a comeback at UFC Atlanta after more than a year away, the questions are back. And so are the doubts.

Kamaru Usman’s Comeback Fight vs Joaquin Buckley

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is well aware of all the knee injury talk that’s been buzzing since the UFC Atlanta headliner got locked in. Usman reminded everyone at the UFC media day that he fought almost everyone with a bad knee, and this time it won’t be different. He also addressed the ongoing meme on the internet about him having ‘no knees’ and assured everyone that we’d find out once the cage door locks.

Usman added, “I know it’s a running joke, everyone likes to joke about it. But I’ve been beating people’s asses with [these] knees. So it is what it is. They can say whatever they want. Saturday, we’re going to get in there, he’s going to punch me, I’m going to punch him, and we’re going to see who wins.”

It’s definitely going to be an interesting fight once Kamaru Usman steps back inside the cage. He already proved against Khamzat Chimaev that he can still go toe-to-toe, even with damaged knees. And if he shows up as the vintage ‘Nigerian Nightmare,’ it’ll be tough for anyone to stop him. That being said, do you think the former champion could struggle with his knees in the fight against Joaquin Buckley? Let us know in the comments below.