Kamaru Usman returned to winning ways with a commanding unanimous decision victory over the high-flying Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, early Sunday morning (Nigerian time).
Despite being ranked No. 5, Usman entered the octagon as the underdog, having lost three consecutive fights. Buckley, on the other hand, came in riding a six-fight win streak, with four of those wins coming by knockout. Confident in his chances, Buckley had boldly predicted a knockout within 25 minutes.
However, Kamaru Usman flipped the script. The former welterweight champion utilized his elite grappling and cage control to neutralize Buckley, pinning him to the mat for over 12 of the 25 minutes. Buckley spent most of the fight on the defensive, unable to execute his aggressive striking game.
Statistically, Usman was in total control. He landed 171 total strikes to Buckley’s 62, including 66 significant strikes compared to Buckley’s 53. Usman also outlanded Buckley in head shots, 56 to 37.
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Speaking after the win, an emotional Usman expressed relief at breaking his losing streak and praised Buckley’s toughness.
“It’s been a while, I needed to get that monkey off my back,” Usman said. “I’m still able to do this at the highest level.”
“Sometimes when you’re up against a young and hungry guy like that, very talented and aggressive, you have to rely on your skills and experience, and that’s what I did. I wanted to open up a little more, but that comes with time.”
“I feel good. I just want to say thank you to everybody — ATL, Atlanta — thank you for coming out and showing up for me. I appreciate it.”
Usman also gave Buckley credit for a tough challenge, despite the one-sided result.
“I expected him to be really tough, and he was. He’s a very talented guy. I have a lot of respect for all these guys because I know what it takes to step in here, especially going up against someone like me with all this experience.”
Closing on a confident note, Usman reminded fans and critics alike that he’s far from finished.
“I can do what I did to Buckley to anyone. I still have that knockout in the bag, and I’ve got some of the best minds in the game behind me with my coaches. This isn’t the end, not even close.”
Usman’s win over Buckley was named the Fight of the Night.
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