Kamaru Usman showcased the dominance, determination and downright nastiness that made him one of the greatest Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight kings throughout his five-round performance against Joaquin Buckley on Saturday night at UFC Atlanta.
Usman (21-4, 16-4 UFC) put on a vintage performance, mauling Buckley en route to a unanimous decision win (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). Buckley (21-7, 11-5) had few answers for Usman’s world-class wrestling alongside the cage. Usman dragged his foe to the mat with single-leg takedowns and maintained immense top pressure for minutes at a time. By the end of the first round, Buckley’s eye was busted open with scarlet blood leaking out.