Recap the full fight between Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley from the UFC Atlanta main event held on June 14th at State State Farm Arena. The bout, which aired live on ESPN and ESPN+, saw the former welterweight champion face off against the middleweight contender.
Here are the key moments from the contest:
Round 1
The fight began with high tension but little offense on the feet before Usman quickly secured a remarkably easy takedown. Once on the ground, Usman established heavy top control, applying constant pressure and landing occasional punches. This ground dominance limited Buckley`s options significantly and resulted in a cut forming near his right eye. The round was completely controlled by Usman, who landed hard shots just before the horn.
Round 2
Buckley needed a shift in momentum in the second round. He attempted to be more active, including a jumping knee, but Usman`s wrestling continued to dictate the action. Usman again found it surprisingly easy to take Buckley down, much to the crowd`s audible disapproval. Undeterred, Usman maintained his suffocating top position, keeping Buckley grounded and ineffective for the entire round. He finished the round in full mount, cementing his control after ten minutes of fighting.
Round 3
The third round saw Buckley land a nice uppercut and a clean left hand while standing, momentarily threatening Usman. However, every instance of stand-up success was followed by Usman initiating grappling. Usman secured his third easy takedown of the fight, returning to his preferred position on the mat. Buckley continued to struggle desperately with takedown defense, and Usman resumed pressure and ground strikes, ending the round in a dominant position.
Round 4
Entering the championship rounds, Usman`s control was firmly established. Buckley managed to land combinations on the feet and showed some resilience, even engaging in brief trash talk while defending. Despite this, Usman`s wrestling remained the defining factor. He consistently managed to take Buckley down, showcasing a surprising ease given Buckley`s perceived strength. The fourth round mirrored the previous ones, with Usman securing another significant takedown and keeping Buckley grounded.
Round 5
Knowing he was significantly down on the scorecards, Buckley came out with more urgency in the final round. He successfully defended a couple of early takedown attempts from Usman and landed some clean striking combinations. Buckley found his most success of the fight in this round on the feet, landing heavy left hands in the closing seconds. However, despite clearly winning the fifth round, it was not enough to erase Usman`s overwhelming dominance and control demonstrated throughout the first four rounds.
After five rounds, Kamaru Usman was awarded a unanimous decision victory, with his superior wrestling and ground control being the decisive factors in the fight against Joaquin Buckley.
