In the co-main event, UFC Flyweight Champion, Joshua Van, successfully defended his strap in a masterful boxing performance over challenger, Tatsuro Taira. In the main event, Sean Strickland edged out the UFC Middleweight Champion, Khamzat Chimaev to snatch back the belt. Only one non-ranked fighter on this edition of What’s Next, but a potential move up in weight for a couple of fighters.

Khamzat Chimaev

(#3) Sean Strickland surprised quite a few fans with his split decision victory of champion Khamzat Chimaev to win back the middleweight title at UFC 328 on Saturday. It was a hard fought bout for both men with Khamzat first looking nearly unstoppable, before his grappling started to fail him early/midway through the fight. This loss was the first of Khamzat’s career, though Kamaru Usman notably took Chimaev to a majority decision on short notice back in 2023. Chimaev is now 15-1 as a pro and 9-1 in the UFC since being signed in 2020.

205lbs.

Not sure if Khamzat will elect to move up to 205lbs or not with his 6’2″ frame and 75″ reach. But, according to UFC President Dana White in the UFC 328 post-fight press conference, Chimaev wants to give light heavyweight a go. If Khamzat indeed moves up, an excellent high profile, immediate test would be against (#6) Jamahal Hill. Jamahal is a 2019 Contender Series alum that has the seemingly unimpressive UFC record of 6-4 with 1 NC. He’s riding a -three-fight losing streak. But upon further inspection, he’s a former UFC light heavyweight champion that strung together a 4-fight win streak to take down Glover Teixeira for the belt in 2023. Hill has dropped three straight since then, losing to Alex Pereira, Jiri Porchazka and most recently Khalil Rountree Jr., last June. This fight would be a dangerous striking litmus test for Khamzat at 205lbs. Hill is 6’4″ with a 79″ reach. This fight could serve as part of a PPV card up to the co main event slot.

185lbs.

If Khamzat changes his mind and stays at 185lbs., the next matchup should be against (#5) Caio Borralho. Caio is 8-1 in the UFC and 1-1 in his last two. He lost to (#2) Nassourdine Imavov in September before bouncing back against Reinier de Ridder earlier this year. Timing would be a tad off but it could still make a lot of since and set up a title shot for either fighter.

Khamzat’s next fight: (#6) Jamahal Hill at 205lbs or (#5) Caio Borralho at 185lbs.

Tatsuro Taira

Flyweight champ Joshua Van brutalized (#3) Tatsuro Taira with his boxing at UFC 328 on Saturday eventually finishing the Japanese fighter after evading grappling exchanges and submissions. Taira showed massive amounts of grit in the bout and his tenacity eventually earned this scrap Fight of the Night honors. Even though Taira came in as a slight favorite, his stock doesn’t drop too horribly after a gutsy performance like that. Tatsuro is now 8-2 in the UFC since being signed in 2022. Taira is 2-2 in his last four bouts. But he’s earned fight of the night honors in both defeats. Tatsuro was riding a two-fight win streak heading into Saturday with second round stoppages over Hyun Sung Park and Brandon Moreno.

Taira’s next fight should be against the loser of Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi. That fight goes down on June 20 and is also in the main event slot. Timing wouldn’t be the best but it’d be worth waiting for either either fighter. Kape is currently 7-3 with the UFC and is riding a 3-fight win streak that saw him stop (#15) Bruno Silva, (#8) Asu Almabayev and most recently (#4) Brandon Royval.

Horiguchi is 9-1 with the UFC in total but is 2-0 since being signed back with the promotion in 2025. The former RIZIN flyweight champion has defeated (#14) Tagir Ulanbekov and (#7) Amir Albazi in his second stint with the promotion. Both fighters are ascending and with a victory could likely fight for the title. Since Taira just gave a good showing for the strap he’d be the obvious choice for the loser. This bout could even potentially be on the same card as the flyweight championship bout to line the winner up to take on the Flyweight Champ.

Tatsuro’s next fight: (#2) Manel Kape vs. (#5) Kyoji Horiguchi loser

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

(#2) Alexander Volkov turned in an excellent performance, despite a little chaos late, to capture a unanimous decision victory over (#4) Waldo Cortes-Acosta on Saturday night. The defeat cooled off the 2022 Contender Series Alum as it snapped a 3-fight win streak. Cortes-Acosta is now 10-3 with the UFC. His other losses are to Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Sergei Pavlovich. Heading into this fight he had stopped Ante Delija, Shamil Gaziev and most recently, Derrick Lewis.

Curtis Blaydes Matchup

For his next fight Waldo should take on Curtis Blaydes. Curtis was previously matched up with the winner of Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Pericic winner on the UFC 327 losers article. Perhaps that matchup isn’t the best option seeing Brando end up getting the stoppage victory over Shamil along with the heavyweight ranking of #15.  Giving Blaydes a fighter like Waldo seems more appropriate. And it seems like a good step for Waldo as well after a loss to top ranked Volkov. Blaydes is 2-3 in his last five. Those three losses came to (#3) Sergei Pavlovich, UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tom Aspinal and most recently (#5) Josh Hokit. He’s beat Jailton Alemdia and (#8) Rizvan Kuniev in that stretch. This could be on the main card of a PPV and gives fans a striker vs. grappler matchup between two top-level heavyweights.

Josh Hokit Matchup

Good backup fight here, if everything falls into place for it, would be (#5) Josh Hokit. Josh is a 2025 Contender Series alum and is just 3-0 with the promotion.  If he gets through Derrick Lewis on short turnaround he’d still need another legitimate win. Especially before unlocking a matchup with the upper echelon on the division. Cortes-Acosta could be that name. But only if it materializes right. That fight goes down on June 14.

Waldo’s next fight:  (#7) Curtis Blaydes or (#5) Josh Hokit if he beats (#9) Derrick Lewis 

Joaquin Buckley

(#6) Sean Brady used his grappling prowess on the main card of UFC 328 on Saturday to find the unanimous decision victory opposite of (#9) Joaquin Buckley. This loss marks just the second time Buckley has been on a losing streak in his 29-fight career (the other being 2022 when he lost to Naasourdine Imavov and then Chris Curtis). Stings for Buckley as before this 2-fight skid he was riding a 6-fight wins streak with included stoppages over former title challengers in Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.

Gabriel Bonfim Matchup

For his next fight, Joaquin Buckley should take on Gabriel Bonfim if he loses to Belal Muhammad. That fight is scheduled for June 6th so the timing would be great. Bonfim is 6-1 with the promotion with his only loss coming to Nicolas Dalby in 2023. Since then, Bonfim has racked up four in a row including finishes against Khaos Williams and most recently, Randy Brown. Bonfim also has a win over Stephen Thompson in that stretch. It’d also offer fans a great standup matchup. If former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad loses, not sure the grappling aspect would be a good option for Buckley considering the outcome of UFC 328.

Yaroslav Amosov Matchup

Good backup option here would be Yaroslav Amosov. Yarolsav is a former Bellator Welterweight title Challenger a promotion where he went 8-1. Amosov is 2-0 with the UFC since his signing last year. Yaroslav has stopped Neil Magny and on the undercard of UFC 328 he took two rounds to submit Joel Alvarez with an arm triangle choke. Don’t sleep on this matchup. It could be a viable option for the promotion if they’d like to push Amosov at all. Could be a co main or a main of a fight night or a PPV opener/ feature prelim.

Joaquin’s next fight: (#10) Gabriel Bonfim if he loses to (#5) Belal Muhammad or (#14) Yaroslav Amosov

Jeremy Stephens

King Green looked as sharp as ever showing off his signature striking before electing to get the job done on the ground via a late first round submission victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 328. Jeremy’s 36th UFC showing went from bad to worse, first 4 lbs. heavy and then proceeded to get finished. Stephens also lost his UFC return last year in a unanimous decision to Mason Jones. Since that fight he suffered a stoppage opposite of Mike Perry during a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bout.

Seemed like Stephens was ready to call it a career after his bout with Green as he removed his gloves. But if he gets another bout in with the UFC a perfect option would be a fighter like Jared Gordon. Jared also suffered a submission defeat on the UFC 328 card. Jim Miller took under a round to catch Jared in a guillotine to bring Gordon to 9-8 with the UFC. Gordon has lost three of his last four bouts. Losses in this stretch include Nasrat Haqparast, Rafa Garcia and now Jim Miller. Walking back a previous losers article matchup here, as an Alexander Hernandez bout just doesn’t make much sense here even though he also is coming off a loss to Rafa Garcia too. Gordon shares three common oppeonts with Stephens: King Green, Charles Olivera and Jim Miller. All losses- except Green vs. Gordon ending via NC

Jeremy’s next bout: Retirement or Jared Gordon

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Both were coming off single loss setbacks suffered last year, Brady against Michael Morales and Buckley opposite ex-champ Kamaru Usman. Brady remained ranked #6, Buckley #9 in the UFC’s 170lb division.

Someone was almost certainly getting back in the win column on Saturday.

The welterweight affair started out at a crisp pace, though neither man hit the target initially, both struggling to find their range. They’d collide just under a minute in, spinning around in a clinch. Nothing came of it, but Brady would re-engage a moment later, looking to land a takedown. No success, and they reset at center. Shortly after, following a Buckley kick, Brady changed levels and landed the first takedown of the fight. Buckley was on his back, head towards the fence. Brady ripped punches to the bottom from half-guard, with half a round still on the clock.

Brady then moved to mount, firing right hands first, then lefts. Buckley covered up, then rolled to one side. Brady stayed on top in full mount, landing more ground n’ pound. Buckley’s defense was more or less trying to shrimp and scoot free, without success, and cover up. Just enough to prevent a stoppage. Brady then chased a kimura, bailing on the ground n’ pound. Buckley was able to defend, but still had Brady on top of him. He’d finish out the round there.

Brady fired high with a kick then transitioned straight into a spinning back fist to open round two. Neither landed clean, but moments later, roughly 30 seconds in, Brady landed another takedown. That gave him tons of time to work after being dominant on top in round one. Brady was working his way to mount, but Buckley bucked his opponent off, and looked ready to open fire— only to be taken down off a kick, more of a knee, yet again.

Again, Brady made it to mount. In against the fence, Buckley was stuck. Brady unleashed hammerfists, though they didn’t have a ton on them. A few elbows were in the mix however. Buckley moved, Brady took aim again, and added more elbows. Some of those were getting through. Buckley fought the wrists after that, surviving the round, but went into the third in need of a finish.

Between rounds, Joaquin Buckley’s corner order him to drop the kicks and knees from his arsenal and work on his hands. Brady went straight for a takedown, meanwhile, and although Buckley fought that off, a double-leg attempt was successful shortly after. Exactly where Buckley didn’t want to me. Any hope of a win rested on his ability to get back up, but Brady was heavy on top. Soon enough, he’d passed to mount for the third time in the fight.

Brady would finish the round strong, and though he didn’t find the finish, there was no question as to who captured the victory.

Official Result: Sean Brady def. Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27)

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“May 9th the world going to know,” Buckley told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

Buckley (21-7) had said in the lead up to the fight that he had a run-in with Brady at the UFC’s Performance Institute. Brady disputed the claim even going as far as to offer to get the footage from security cameras at the PI.

Buckley didn’t change his tune.

“May 9th, the world going to know,” he said.

Buckley got some training in with former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the lead up to this fight. The former opponents became teammates with Buckley looking to prepare for the grapple-heavy attack coming his way on Saturday night.

“The training has been good. A lot of people just going to see all the things I learned from Usman, from that fight, and the things I got to work on skill-wise when I was competing with him just in the gym,” he said.

“May 9th, the world going to know all the things I worked on with Kamaru Usman.”

The welterweight is known for violent finishes when the opportunity presents itself, and when asked if he was expecting one against Brady he gave the same answer.

“May 9th, the world going to know.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Joaquin Buckley above. He faces Sean Brady at UFC 328 on Saturday night.

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“I don’t think so. We’ve seen each other at the PI (UFC Performance Institute). I was getting ready to fight Gilbert Burns. We literally talked for 5 minutes. I’m cool with the guys at the PI, they can pull up the footage of us talking,” Brady told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“We had like a 5-10 minute conversation. My Uber came, me and my coach left, it was nothing bigger than that.”

Brady (18-2) isn’t buying into the pre-fight theatrics ahead of his matchup with Buckley. The welterweight contender made it clear his focus remains strictly on the fight, not the noise surrounding it.

“I’m sure Buckley’s doing what Buckley likes to do, try to sell a fight, which is fine. I have no bad blood against anybody that I’m fighting. I’m a grown man, I don’t have grudges, or personal beef with dudes. We’re going to fight Saturday, and that’s it for me,” he said.

“He tries to be more of a character, which I’m not and I’m not going to play into it, and I haven’t. It’s social media. Like that sh*t’s not real.”

Brady kept it simple discussing his approach against Buckley emphasizing a game plan that rarely changes. The grappler believes the matchup will come down to which fighter can impose their style first.

“That’s my game plan essentially for every fight. Go out there, take you down, and I just think I’m more of a submission threat than Kamaru is,” he said.

“This fight’s simple. It’s Buckley who’s going to want to keep it on the feet, I’m going to want to take it to the ground, and it’s going to be whoever can get there first.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Sean Brady above. He faces Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328 on Saturday night.

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On Thursday, UFC officials announced that Chimaev (15-0) will make his first title defense in May, when he’ll take on Sean Strickland (30-7) in the main event of UFC 328.

The card takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2026, and sees Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta serving as co-headliner.

Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis with apparent ease at UFC 319 last August. That marked the Chechen’s long-awaited summit at the top of the middleweight mountain. The only knock on “Borz” over the past few years has been his lack of activity, partly due to illness. He’s fought just once in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025.

That’s a drastic change of course from his early UFC career, when he set activity records in the promotion.

Strickland reinserted himself in the title picture by defeated the surging Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez by knockout in the main event of UFC Houston last month. After shocking the MMA world by defeating Israel Adesanya to claim gold in September of 2023, Strickland lost the title to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in Toronto the following January.

A win over Paulo Costa earned Strickland a second crack at Du Plessis last year, but that fight didn’t go his way either. Yet with Reinier de Ridder falling off, Caio Borralho coming off a single win, and Hernandez having had the best case for a chance at gold, Strickland’s timing has proven perfect.

Thought Nassourdine Imavov might have something to say about it.

Announced for the UFC 328 card on May 9 are the following match-ups:

• Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland – for the UFC middleweight championship
• Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
• Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley
• Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov
• King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens
• Ateba Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz

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During Saturday’s UFC Houston broadcast, promotion officials announced that welterweights Joaquin Buckley (21-7) and Sean Brady (18-2) will headline the Fight Night show.

Brady comes in at #6 in the UFC’s official welterweight rankings, while Buckley holds the #9 spot.

Both men will be fighting for the first time in 2026.

Sean Brady last competed in November, when he was stopped by another rising contender in Brazil’s Michael Morales. Prior to that, the American had put together three straight wins, and submitted former champ Leon Edwards at home in England in the process.

As for “Newmansa” Buckley, he suffered a setback of his own in June, losing a Fight of the Night decision against former champ Kamaru Usman. A former middleweight with the 2020 Knockout of the Year, Buckley had put together six consecutive wins including victories over the likes of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and former interim champ Colby “Chaos” Covington.

UFC Vegas 116 goes down at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 25, with just one other fight reported for the card thus far. That bout sees Yana Santos take on Norma Dumont in a key fight for the women’s bantamweight division.

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Saturday brought another main card six fights deep. All of the fights on the main card also went to a decision, though not all of them went the distance with one ending due to technical decision (via head clash). In the main event Joaquin Buckley was denied by the former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in a five-round Fight of the Night winner. Some tricky, sensitive matchups for the fighters on this card.

Joaquin Buckley

Kamaru Usman turned back the clock and utilized his wrestling to derail the surging Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta. Buckley entered the fight riding a six-fight win streak seeing him stop four fighters in the stretch. Buckley entered the fight ranked at #7 in the welterweight division, while the former welterweight champ was ranked at #5.

The only move really for Buckley at this point-as the welterweight rankings are stagnant in some areas- is to fight Geoff Neal. Neal has won three of his last five losing only to Shavkat Rakhmanov and Ian Machado Garry in that nearly four-year stretch. The #11 ranked UFC welterweight was supposed to fight Carlos Prates on UFC 314 in April before he was forced to withdraw. If Neal is healthy, that is 100% the fight to make. A slick boxer that has excellent cage clinch work, Neal is incredibly dangerous. This will be an exciting back and forth standup battle that would be at treat for fans and an easy fight night headliner. Leaning on the optimistic side as well in terms of timing- Buckley will need a few months after the five-round dogfight, hopefully Neal is ready by then.

Buckley’s next fight: Geoff Neal 

Miranda Maverick

Rose Namajunas’s last round knockdown secured a unanimous decision win over Miranda Maverick in the co-main event of UFC Atlanta on Saturday. The loss snaps a four-fight win streak for Maverick seeing her defeating the likes of Priscila Cachoeira, Andrea Lee, Dione Barbosa and Jamey-Lyn Horth. Maverick entered the fight ranked at #11 while Rose was ranked at #7 in the women’s flyweight division.

Cortez is currently ranked at #10 in the division while Araujo is ranked at #8. Tracy’s last time out was actually on short notice against Rose after Macy Barber withdrew last July.  Cortez lost a five round unaimous decision in that fight. Cortez was temporarily slated against Maverick in July but will instead face Viviane on UFC 317. Araujo has won two of her last three with wins over Jenifer Maia and most recently, Karine Silva, last November. Good fight to make with the winner of this one likely rounding out the top 10-12. The loser would likely fall towards the tail end of the divisional rankings.

Maverick’s next fight: Loser of Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez

Andre Petroski

Andre Petroski was out-struck by a sharp and focused looking Edmen Shahbazyan on the way to a unanimous decision defeat Saturday. Petroski is now 8-3 with the UFC and had his three-fight win streak snapped with the loss.

Petroski should take on the loser of Jun Yong Park vs Ismail Naurdiev who fight on June 21. The timing would match up perfectly especially if the fight goes the distance. Ismail Naurdiev is currently on his second stint with the UFC after going 2-2 in 2019-2020. Naurdiev defeated Bruno Silva via unanimous decision back in October to welcome himself back to the UFC. Jun Yong Park is 8-3 with the UFC and has won five of his last six dating back to 2021. (Only dropping a split decision to Andre Muniz in December of 2023). A meaningful middleweight fight for the loser of this one as this division still needs to be sorted out.

Andre’s next fight: Loser of Jun Yong Park vs Ismail Naurdiev

Cody Garbrandt

Ranoi Barcelos defeated Cody Garbrandt in a high paced fight that went the distance. Garbrandt has now won just three of his last 10 fights dating back to losing the belt in 2017.

This outcome for Garbrandt does potentially set up a pretty interesting next fight. As a former bantamweight champion, he still holds a name but realistically turns 34 this next month at 135lbs.- which is an elite division. Garbrandt has been defeated by high level guys and the UFC 316 edition of Losers pitting him against Patchy Mix would still be a solid option. Patchy, who had a terrible UFC debut against then, #10 ranked, Mario Bautista needs a bounce back fight.

Cody desperately needs a win against relevant competition to finally plant his footing from his multiyear free fall. If Mix chooses to strike, Cody could have the potential to end the fight. And if the bout goes to the ground, Patchy has a good shot to stop the bout as well. Loser might be looking at whispers from the fan base of fighting for a roster spot with another loss.

Garbrandt’s next fight: Patchy Mix

Cody Brundage

Cody Brundage lost a technical decision to the undefeated Mansur Abdul-Malik at UFC Atlanta, after the bout was stopped prematurely due to an accidental clash of heads. A disappointing outing undoubtedly for Brundage as he is now 5-6, 1 NC in the UFC.

Brundage was matched up against The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 winner, Ryan Loder in March. However, the fight never went down as Loder withdrew. Instead, he fought Azamat Bekoev in May and was finished in the first round. This would great fight to revisit now after both outcomes though the timing isn’t the best. Both guys need to establish themselves within a chaotic middleweight division.

Brundage’s next fight: Ryan Loder

Oumar Sy

Alonzo Menifield defeated Oumar Sy in a technical battle that saw Sy’s decision to strike, ultimately cost him his undefeated record. Menifield entered the fight ranked at #15 in the light heavyweight division while Sy was on the outside looking in, without a ranking.

The light heavyweight division is an extremely shallow place and there is no reason to rush the 29-year-old after this misstep.  Sy is just 2-1 with the UFC. He’s got options. If Paul Craig vs Rodlfo Bellato is not rebooked after its no contest ending, then Bellato would be an excellent next opponent for Sy. Bellato is a two-time Contender Series vet that is 1-0-1, 1 NC with the promotion. Bellato is 12-2-1 as a pro, so very similar experience level. However, it’s understandable if that matchup doesn’t happen as the feature preliminary bout of UFC Atlanta between Craig and Bellato ended controversially. A good back up would be winner of Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio. Both fighters have 10 fights with the promotion and Crute has a draw and a loss to Menifield. Ideally, Bellato and Sy fight to determine their legitimacy within the division.

Sy’s next fight:  Rodolfo Bellato or Loser of Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio 

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Saturday night’s Usman vs. Buckley marked the first fight for ex-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman since a 2023 loss to Khamzat Chimaev. It also marked the end of a three-fight skid including back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards for Usman, while for Buckley, the setback was his first as a welterweight on his current run. Six fight win streak over, Buckley will now look to shore up his takedown defense, which failed him in the fight repeatedly until the final round, when Usman had arguably begun to tire.

The first four rounds saw Usman land one takedown in each, with Buckley unable to get back up in all cases. That glaring hole in his armor isn’t going get Buckley where he needs to be in terms of the title picture, and will be something to watch for next time out.

Usman, meanwhile, was emotional after the fight, speaking about getting the monkey off his back and knowing he can still compete at the highest level.

It was a good fight; Rowe vs. Loosa was more entertaining, with Rowe landing a late comeback after being down two rounds. Post-fight bonuses are at the whim of the UFC, however. Better luck next time.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Atlanta went to Jose Ochoa, who knocked out a local fave in Cody Durden, and Malcolm Wellmaker. Wellmaker put away the returning Kris Moutinho with a hook that will no doubt play on highlight reels for a while to come.

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Usman had not been seen since a loss to Khamzat Chimaev, his third straight setback including back-to-back title fight losses to Leon Edwards. Buckley, whose star has shone bright since dropping to 170lbs, entered off a win over Colby Covington.

Buckley was quick to move to center off the opening bell, after an introduction that saw both men pass on touching gloves. Usman, however, was right in on a takedown, landing his first about 40 seconds into the fight. With Buckley against the fence, Usman literally dragged him by the legs away from the cage. The former champ then settled in on top, looking to land shots to the body from half-guard. Usman would spent the remainder of the round in that position, finding space to do damage with punches and elbows and opening up a cut on “Newmansa.”

Round two saw more action on the feet, with Buckley getting time to work in high kicks, lefts, and rights. Usman however exploded into a takedown just under two minutes in, landing it from a good deal out. Again, Usman settled in on top, working the body some more. After an extended layoff, Usman looked as if he hadn’t missed a step. With seconds left in the frame, Usman briefly took mount, though he couldn’t stay there. Regardless, a second strong round from the former champion.

Entering the third round, Joaquin Buckley was in need of a momentum shift. He fired his hands early, and added an outside leg kick, staying mobile the entire time. Usman fired a kick to the body; Buckley connected with a left hand. He’d connect several more times in the first half of the round, until Usman, like clockwork, landed another takedown. Three takedowns, one per round, and Usman had dominated off of each. Though the latest came further into the third round than the first two, the end result was the same. And Joaquin Buckley, bloodied again, struggled to escape.

The championship rounds almost certainly found Buckley down 3-0; he had another extended run on the feet early in round four, the first two minutes being entirely stand-up. He ripped the body with an uppercut and connected more than once, but Usman’s durability was holding up. And again, in the back half of the round, “The Nigerian Nightmare” became Joaquin Buckley’s nightmare, and took the fight back down.

Between rounds, Buckley’s corner told him that they weren’t calling kamikaze, and instead needed him to set something up. Bottom line, however, was that reckless or set up, Buckley needed a finish. Usman, through four rounds, had needed just a single takedown in each to dominate the fight. If he landed one in the fifth, it was all but over.

Buckley came out hot in round five, looking to connect with something, anything. Winging punches. He’d find some success with his left, but Usman’s jab was also effective. This time, however, when the takedown attempt came, Buckley was able to fight it off. Then another! That led to a combination from Buckley, after which Usman drove him into the fence, slowing things down with 90 seconds remaining. Buckley escaped, and lunged in with another combo, a minute now still on the clock. Time was not Buckley’s friend, but he did land a straight left, then tag Usman again! Usman was backpedaling, but time was running down. The horn would sound before he could land a finishing blow, and while he might have won the round, Kamaru Usman had clearly won the fight.

Official Result: Kamaru Usman def. Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

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Should Usman win, he’ll remain a long way off from a title shot even as a former UFC champion. Yet for Joaquin Buckley, another win would make it almost undeniable that he is in fact a big player at welterweight.

Also set for the UFC Altanta card, the co-main event finds Rose Namajunas, former strawweight champ, taking on Miranda Maverick in a flyweight battle.

Weigh-ins for UFC Atlanta take place Friday, full results can be found below.

UFC Atlanta: Usman vs. Buckley Weigh-In Results

Main card

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