Kamaru Usman climbed back into the win column with a dominant decision victory over Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Atlanta headliner on Saturday night.
Buckley came out swinging early, which allowed Usman to change levels in the opening minute, securing a double-leg takedown against the fence. Usman managed to cut Buckley open with an elbow and controlled the entire round in top control.
The second verse was the same as the first, with Usman once again taking down Buckley and controlling the action for a majority of the stanza. Buckley seemingly had no answer once The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ had his back to the mat.
Buckley appeared to land some solid strikes in the third, including a crisp left hook that clipped Usman. However, that prompted Usman to shoot for yet another takedown, dragging ‘New Mansa’ to the mat and likely banking a third straight round with steady strikes on the ground.
Buckley managed to stay upright for half of the fourth round, landing some solid strikes in the process, but his success didn’t last long. With two minutes to go, Usman shot in for a double-leg and planted Buckley on the canvas once again. Buckley was unable to fight his way back up before the end of the round, likely giving him five minutes to pull off a finish.
Official Result: Kamaru Usman def. Joaquin Buckley via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
Check Out Highlights From Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta:
