UFC: KAMARU USMAN RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS BEATS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY IN UNANIMOUS DECISION, SAYS THE KNOCKOUTS WILL COME

Kamaru Usman returned to the win column Saturday night in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Atlanta, Ga., securing a unanimous decision over Joaquin Buckley 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.

“Those knockouts will come,” Usman said after the win. “I just needed to get that monkey off my back.”

The first two rounds of the headline welterweight attraction saw Usman (21-4 MMA) pitch the equivalent of a shutout, effortlessly taking Buckley (21-7 MMA) down and utilizing his ground-and-pound to out-strike the St. Louis native 16-0 in the significant strikes category.

Round 3 started strong for Buckley as he found his striking range before Usman found his third takedown in four tries. The former champion kept Buckley there for the final two minutes, briefly securing the mount position as the seconds ticked down.

Round 4 was primarily on the feet, as Buckley found his best combinations of the fight but couldn’t find a comeback finish. Usman took Buckley down again, securing the back mount position as the round ended.

Round 5 saw both men trade blows, but it was too little, too late for Buckley, who had a six-fight unbeaten streak snapped. It was Usman’s first win since he held the title in Nov. 2021.

Buckley was gracious in defeat, suffering his first loss at welterweight.

“We’re just getting started, baby,” Buckley said. “We’ll be back.”