Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman returns to the octagon against Joaquin Buckley in the UFC Atlanta main event.
Usman (20-4) last fought in October 2023, losing to the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev via majority decision in a short-notice fight in the middleweight division. Entering the fight with Buckley at State Farm Arena, Usman has lost his last three fights. The 38 year-old can’t afford another defeat.
Buckley (21-6) will bring a six-fight winning streak with him to Atlanta. He’s coming off a TKO win over Colby Covington in December and looks to pick up the biggest win over his career over the former titleholder.
Former middleweight champion and UFC analyst Michael Bisping gave his UFC Atlanta main event prediction and believes Usman could be facing an uphill climb.
“Usman is going up against Joaquin Buckley. Buckley is a monster,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Joaquin Buckley is only 31 years-old. He’s 5’8, and the man’s a little ball of explosive muscle. He hits like a truck. He’s extremely agile.”
“He’s got flying knees. He’s got wrestling. He’s strong. He’s mentally strong. He talks a lot of sh*t as well, and he’s not afraid to mix it up,” Bisping continued.
Buckley is younger and on the rise. Usman is, without question, in the twilight of his career. Bisping believes it could be a tough night for the former champion.
“It’s a really tough fight for Kamaru Usman,” Bisping said. “He’s been very, very honest that his body is beaten up after years and years of competing at the highest level.”
“The man is 38 years-old, and all that greatness comes at a price,” continued Bisping. “We always say, ‘You don’t have two peaks.’ What comes up must come down. You don’t go up, come down and then go up again. It’s very, very rare that we see that.”
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Bisping believes Buckley has the edge in striking, speed and determination. While he give Usman the advantage in the wrestling department, Bisping ultimately picked Buckley to win.
“When you look at the striking, I’ve got to lean toward Buckley. He’s probably the faster, more explosive, more diverse and agile striker. When you look at conditioning, the man is young. He’s hungry. He wants what Kamaru Usman had,” Bisping said.
“I think he (Usman) is going to have a real hard time catching him. He’s going to have a hard time catching him on the feet. He’s going to have a tough time taking him down, and maybe even a harder time holding him down.
“This is a tough one for Kamaru Usman and I’ve got to lean toward Buckley in this one,” he continued. “I don’t know if Buckley is going to knockout Kamaru Usman. But the fact that he’s so young, he’s so motivated, and he’s athletically in his prime. I think it’s going to be a big problem for Kamaru Usman.”
