UFC Atlanta: The Nigerian Nightmare brings "respect back to his name"

Usman controls Buckley over five rounds at UFC Fight Night
Kamaru Usman defeated Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The former welterweight champion executed a dominant performance across all five rounds to improve his professional MMA record to 21-4. Buckley, with the loss, dropped to 21-7.

Usman outperformed Buckley in every key statistical category. He landed 127 of 217 total strikes, maintaining an accuracy rate of 58.5 per cent. In comparison, Buckley connected on just 28 of 94 total strikes, landing at 29.8 per cent. Usman also led in significant strikes, landing 31 of 73 (42.5 per cent), while Buckley landed 24 of 90 (26.7 per cent).


Also read: UFC Atlanta: Live streaming, venue, date, time of Joaquin Buckley-Kamaru Usman main fight

The grappling aspect of the fight also went in Usman’s favor. He completed four of seven takedown attempts, for a 57.1 per cent success rate. Buckley was unable to land any takedowns during the contest and registered zero submission attempts, as did Usman.

There were no knockdowns recorded in the bout, and both fighters remained upright throughout the five-round fight. Usman used his superior cardio and ground control to manage distance, shut down Buckley’s offensive output, and secure the victory on all judges’ scorecards.

This win marks a pivotal moment for Usman, halting a previous losing streak and positioning him again within title conversation in the UFC welterweight division. The event concluded the UFC Atlanta card, which featured earlier victories from Edmen Shahbazyan, Raoni Barcelos, Mansur Abdul-Malik, and Alonzo Menifield.