Kamaru Usman delivered a masterful performance against Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Atlanta main event, securing a clear and dominant decision victory that served as a powerful reminder of his standing among the greatest welterweights of all time.
The fight was a showcase of Usman`s elite wrestling and ground control. He successfully took Buckley down multiple times in the initial rounds, maintaining a relentless pace and inflicting damage on the canvas.
Usman opened a cut on Buckley early with ground strikes and continued to control the action whenever the fight went to the mat, preventing Buckley from mounting any significant offense.
Although Buckley displayed resilience and found some moments of success in the later rounds, particularly the fifth, Usman had already established an insurmountable lead on the judges` scorecards, securing his first victory in over two years.
“It feels good,” Usman said regarding the win. “It`s been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I`m still able to do this at the highest level. Sometimes when you`re going up against a young, hungry guy like that, very talented, very aggressive, you`ve got to pull out the skills and use the experience. That`s what I did tonight.”
He added, “I expected him to be really, really tough, which he was… Thank you to him for bringing everything that he brought.”
The former champion wasted no time implementing his game plan, quickly closing the distance in the first round for a well-timed takedown. Usman worked methodically from top position, controlling Buckley and landing short punches.
A short elbow strike from Usman on the ground was responsible for opening up a cut on Buckley, who seemed unable to escape the dominant position.
In the second round, Usman mixed in some striking but consistently returned to his grappling strengths, securing another takedown against the fence. His control on the ground was absolute, leaving Buckley defensive and looking for a referee stand-up.
Buckley managed to land a clean right hook after getting back to his feet, but Usman absorbed the shot and immediately responded by driving through for a single leg takedown, putting Buckley on the mat for the third time in as many attempts.
Usman`s pressure remained constant throughout the third round, continuing to land ground and pound strikes until the horn.
Facing a significant deficit on the scorecards, Buckley became more aggressive in the fourth round, connecting with some solid punches. However, Usman absorbed the damage and responded with yet another takedown, controlling Buckley on the ground for the final two minutes of the round.
Usman`s dominant wrestling display was a direct response to recent online chatter and criticism suggesting that his past knee issues meant he could no longer effectively take opponents down.
Addressing his critics directly, Usman stated emphatically, “I know it’s a running joke… Oh his knees, his knees! Well shut the f*ck up, I can still do what I do.”
Only in the final five minutes did Buckley find consistent success in defending Usman`s takedowns, leading to more striking exchanges that drew cheers from the crowd. Buckley swung with significant power, attempting a knockout blow.
Buckley had his best moments in the fifth round and likely won it, but he couldn`t inflict enough damage to truly hurt Usman or secure a finish.
After the loss, Buckley showed respect for his opponent: “I’m beyond just honored to be in this octagon with somebody who’s known as one of the best… One of the GOATs to do it. For us to go five rounds, to put on an amazing fight, I’m just so happy. I’ve done come a long way and you all see me here. This ain’t going to be the end. We just getting started.”
The victory immediately propels Usman back into the conversation at the top of the 170-pound division, where he reigned as champion for over three years. His performance on Saturday served notice that he is back and a threat to anyone in the division.
Usman concluded with a warning to the welterweight ranks: “I can do that to anybody… The rest of the welterweight division, listen — I have been and always will be the f*cking boogeyman.”
