UFC Atlanta: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley: Full video highlights

UFC Atlanta was headlined by a welterweight contest between Kamaru Usman and emerging contender Joaquin Buckley. The Fight Night event took place this past weekend at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Usman came into the contest on a three-fight skid, the most recent being a majority decision loss in a short notice middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in 2023. Notably, he failed to reclaim his 170-pound belt from the then-champion Leon Edwards in their trilogy fight at UFC 286 after suffering a majority decision loss. Usman had lost his throne in their rematch at UFC 278, where Edwards landed a devastating head kick in the final round.

As for Buckley, he was hoping to put his name into title contention with a dominating victory over Usman. 'New Mansa' entered the bout with an impressive six-fight win streak, four of which came via knockout. In his most recent octagon encounter at UFC Tampa last year, the 31-year-old defeated former interim champion Colby Covington via third-round TKO.

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On Saturday, Usman immediately displayed his wrestling prowess and secured a takedown, inflicting damage from the top position. Buckley suffered a cut above his right eye as a result.

Buckley had some success in the third and fourth rounds. However, Usman derailed his momentum by repeatedly bringing the fight to the ground. That said, the No.7-ranked welterweight made necessary adjustments and defended Usman's takedown attempts in the last round, hoping to finish the fight via knockout.

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After five rounds, Usman was declared the winner via unanimous decision. The judges scored the contest (49-46x2, 48-47) in favor of the former champion, who defied his critics with an excellent performance.

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About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena