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Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley Preview & Picks – Buckley To KO Usman At UFC Atlanta
- Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley picks for Saturday, June 14
- UFC Fight Night is taking place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
- Preview, predictions, stats & form
Joaquin Buckley (Getty Images)
- Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley Preview & Picks
- Kamaru Usman Form
- Joaquin Buckley Form
Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley Preview & Picks
Kamaru Usman vs Joaquin Buckley Preview & Picks
Joaquin Buckley is tipped to knock out former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Buckley has the wrestling ability to take away Usman’s biggest asset, and both the striking skill and power to get the job done inside five rounds.
- Joaquin Buckley is on a 6-fight win streak
- 4 of Joaquin Buckley’s last 6 wins have come by KO
- Kamaru Usman is winless since November 2021
- Kamaru Usman has a knockout loss on his record
Kamaru Usman Form
Kamaru Usman is a former UFC welterweight champion with a professional record of 20-4 (9 KOs, 1 Sub).
Usman joined the UFC in 2015 following a successful appearance on The Ultimate Fighter series, and in his debut he beat Leon Edwards in the first fight of their trilogy.
He built on that victory as he quickly climbed the ladder, reeling off a bunch of wins and beating a host of notable names in the 170lb division.
Sean Strickland, Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos were all beaten on points between April 2017 and November 2018, as he forced his way into title contention.
Usman was then successful in his first attempt to win a UFC title, beating Tyron Woodley via unanimous decision to claim the welterweight crown in March 2019.
In his first defence he knocked out Colby Covington in the fifth round, and then beat Jorge Masvidal on points in the first of their two meetings.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ stopped Gilbert Burns with strikes in the third round in his first outing of 2021, and later that year he knocked out Masvidal in the second before beating Covington on points.
Usman’s reign finally came to an end in 2022 though, as he was sensationally knocked out in the last round by Leon Edwards.
The 38-year-old lost the rematch on points the following year, before ending 2023 with a majority decision defeat to Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight.
He would not fight again for over a year, with this bout against Joaquin Buckley being his long-awaited return to action.
Joaquin Buckley Form
Joaquin Buckley is the number seven ranked contender in the welterweight division, with a career record of 21-6 (15 KOs).
Buckley debuted in the UFC as a middleweight in August 2020, and got off to a disappointing start as he was knocked out by Kevin Holland in the third round.
He rebounded to win five of his next six fights, but his momentum stalled in the second half of 2022 as he lost back-to-back fights.
‘New Mansa’ dropped a unanimous decision to Nassourdine Imavov, and was then knocked out in the second round by Chris Curtis.
Buckley moved down to welterweight following that loss to Curtis, and it has proven to be a smart move.
The 31-year-old American got back to winning ways with a second-round TKO victory over Andre Fialho, and backed that up with a points success against Alex Morono.
He then fought no less than four times in 2024, winning every single outing to put himself on the brink of the top five in the welterweight division.
Buckley began the year with a second-round knockout of Vicente Luque, and followed that up with a unanimous decision success against Nursulton Ruziboev.
He then closed out 2024 by knocking out both Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington in the third round.
Verdict
This is Joaquin Buckley’s biggest test to date, but we expect him to pass that test.
He has been considerably more active than Kamaru Usman, who has not fought for over a year, and his combination of great wrestling and knockout power can be the recipe for success against the former champion.
He has been considerably more active than Kamaru Usman, who has not fought for over a year, and his combination of great wrestling and knockout power can be the recipe for success against the former champion.
Buckey by KO/TKO
Method Of Victory
@150.00 - 3 Units
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Under 4.5
Total Rounds
@-131.58 - 3 Units
55 Stake Cash no deposit & 550,000 Gold Coins & 5% Rakeback
Use promo code NEWBONUS
Sign up with the code NEWBONUS. When you verify your account get 25 Stake Cash for free PLUS 250,000 Gold Coins and 5% Rakeback! No deposit required. Login each day for the next 30 days and get an additional 30 Stake Cash AND 300,000 Gold Coins. 21+ only. T&Cs apply. Excludes WA, NY, NV, ID, KY, MI, VT, NJ, DE, WV, PA, RI & MD.
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