Kamaru Usman ends fout years drought to defeat Buckley

Kamaru Usman reasserted his place among the elite in the UFC welterweight division with a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Atlanta on Saturday. 

Judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of the former champion.

Usman (21-4 MMA) ended a three-fight skid with his first win since November 2021, using his trademark wrestling and ground control to smother Buckley (21-7 MMA), who suffered his first loss at welterweight and had his six-fight unbeaten streak snapped.

“Those knockouts will come,” Usman said post-fight. “I just needed to get that monkey off my back.”

Fight Recap:

-Rounds 1 & 2: Usman dominated early, securing takedowns and out-landing Buckley 16-0 in significant strikes.

-Round 3: Buckley found his range briefly before Usman imposed his grappling again, ending the round in control.

-Round 4: A mostly stand-up round saw Buckley land his best shots of the fight, but Usman once again closed it out with a takedown and back control.

-Round 5: Both fighters traded on the feet, but Buckley couldn’t land a fight-altering blow.

Despite the loss, Buckley remained upbeat: “We’re just getting started, baby,” he told fans.

Co-Main: Namajunas Outpoints Maverick in Gritty Battle

Former two-time strawweight champ Rose Namajunas (15-7 MMA) earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick (17-6 MMA), winning 30-27 on two cards and 29-28 on the third. The win marked Namajunas’ third in four fights as she continues her pursuit of a flyweight title shot.

Namajunas survived a deep arm-triangle attempt in Round 2 and closed strong to snap Maverick’s four-fight win streak.

Main Card Highlights:

-Edmen Shahbazyan def. Andre Petroski via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28):
Shahbazyan (15-5 MMA) displayed complete control and came close to finishing Petroski (13-5 MMA) in Round 3. It’s Shahbazyan’s first decision win since 2018 and his first back-to-back wins in five years.

-Raoni Barcelos def. Cody Garbrandt via UD (29-28 x3):
In a slow-paced bantamweight bout, Barcelos (20-5 MMA) extended his win streak to three. Former champion Garbrandt (14-7 MMA) continues to struggle, now having lost 17 of his last 20 bouts.

-Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Cody Brundage via technical decision (30-27, 29-28 x2):
After an accidental clash of heads halted the bout early in Round 3, judges awarded Abdul-Malik (9-0 MMA) the win. He improves to 3-0 in the UFC, while Brundage (11-7 MMA) drops further below .500.

-Alonzo Menifield def. Oumar Sy via UD (29-28 x3):
Menifield (17-5-1 MMA) handed Sy (11-1 MMA) his first career loss, bouncing back with his second consecutive win.

What’s Next: UFC Heads to Azerbaijan

The UFC now goes international, with its next Fight Night set for Azerbaijan. Headlining the June 22 event is a light heavyweight clash between former champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA) and former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA) in a five-round non-title bout.