Kamaru Usman served a reminder of why he was once a dominant welterweight champion by dominating Joaquin Buckley for much of their five-round fight tonight in the main event of UFC On ESPN 69.
Round One
The welterweight main event is underway in Atlanta!
Flurry of punches from Buckley, but doesn’t find a home for them. Usman ducks under a punch and drives in for a takedown. He’s almost got Buckley down, but he’s still propping himself up with one arm. Usman does however manage to compete the takedown and is now in half-guard with plenty of time to work.
Short elbow strike from Usman, but mostly just opting for control at this stage. Buckley starting to build his base with half the round remaining, but Usman gets him flat on his back again quickly.
Buckley opts for closed guard for now. Usman with a few ground-and-pound punches to stay active. He moves back to half-guard.
Usman’s elbows starting to take effect as Buckley is bleeding from a small cut to the eyelid. Final 10 seconds and Usman turns up the heat on his strikes to end the round strong.
Round Two
Buckley with a left hand. Body kick for Usman. The former champ lands another. Buckley darts into a knee to the body.
Buckley comes forward behind punches. Now a one-two from Usman. Usman works nicely to the body. Sudden takedown attempt from Usman gets Buckley back to the mat.
Usman trying to move forward to mount, but has to settle for half-guard. Usman postures up, pulls Buckley away from the cage a bit and then settles in again.
Elbow strikes from Usman. Nice work from the former champ and Buckley seems to have few ideas on how to get out from under him. Buckley bleeding now as the round comes to a close.
Round Three
Side kick to the body for Buckley. Now one to the inside of the leg. He fires off a few punches, but Usman slides out the way.
Jumping knee to the body from Buckley. Body kick for Usman. Usman tries to punch, but Buckley avoids that and lands a counter.
Jab for Usman. Buckley fires off a flurry and while most of it missed Usman stumbled a little as he tried to get out of the danger zone.
Buckley slips and rips with hard punches. Usman goes for his latest takedown attempt and lands it comfortably. Usman clamps the legs and lands a few punches.
Buckley gradually works to a knee, but Usman is tight to him and giving him little chance to get back to his feet. Usman stepping into mount in the final 10 seconds and lands more ground-and-pound blows.
Round Four
Body kick for Usman and Buckley tries for a head kick. Buckley throws off a combination, but Usman evades it.
Body kick for Usman. Short flurry to the body from Buckley. Buckley again works to the body and then lands a punch upstairs.
Uppercut for Buckley. Short right hook from Usman off a faked takedown attempt. Side kick to the leg from Buckley. Buckley comes close with a knee.
Right hand for Usman. Buckley threatens with a hook. Usman working for a takedown against the cage, but Buckley is defending this one for now with a split-stance. However, Usman takes his time and then does complete the takedown.
Usman opting for control and Buckley’s trying unsuccessfully to get back to his feet. Short elbow for Usman as the round comes to an end.
Round Five
Buckley with a body punch and then a head kick attempt that Usman blocks. Buckley misses with an uppercut attempt.
Single-leg attempt from Usman, but Buckley manages to fend that one off. Missed head kick attempt from Usman.
Usman goes for another takedown attempt, but Usman stuffs it for a second time. Right and a left from Buckley, but Usman lands a jab too.
Usman goes for the takedown again and Buckley has managed to figure this out a bit as he stops it again. Usman really wants to get him down, but Buckley fights it off yet again. Well done by him, though he could have used this earlier in the fight.
Usman settles for clinching up against the cage now. 90 seconds left and Buckley manages to break free. Jab for Usman. Buckley threatens with punches.
Buckley firing off power punches but not quite finding the mark. Buckley fires off uppercuts that just miss the target. He does land one punch though that threatens Usman.
Not much time left now and Buckley is really trying to find a finish, but though he lands the final punch of the fight, it’s not enough.
Decision
Excellent performance from Usman here, dominating Buckley on the mat for four of the five rounds with his slick and strong wrestling, while also being willing to strike with him at times too. Buckley also did well to survive and suddenly discover his takedown defense in the final five minutes to make for an exciting finale, but by that stage only a finish would have made a difference, and so it’s Usman who emerges with a decisive unanimous decision victory (49-46 x2, 48-47).
