The UFC was in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, June 14, for UFC Atlanta. The main event saw welterweight contenders throw down as Kamaru Usman took on Joaquin Buckley.
Entering the fight, Usman was on a three-fight losing streak and was the underdog. Buckley, meanwhile, was a perfect 6-0 since dropping down to welterweight, including beating Colby Covington.
Ultimately, it was Usman who used his wrestling to control Buckley and win a clear-cut decision to snap his losing streak and remain in title contention. Following UFC Atlanta, here is what I think should be next for the two welterweight contenders.
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman was the underdog, and he was being written off ahead of his UFC Atlanta fight against Joaquin Buckley. However, Usman did a good job of using his wrestling to control the fight and getting the win to show he’s still a true title contender at welterweight.
With the win, Usman will likely need another win to get a title shot. The most logical fight is to face Belal Muhammad. Although Usman shot that fight down before his scrap, the two have a rivalry, and both are close to a title shot. It’s a perfect Fight Night main event later this year with the winner likely getting a title shot.
Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin Buckely could have likely secured a title shot with a win over Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta. However, Buckley struggled to keep the fight standing, as this will be a good learning experience for him.
Buckley is still a top-ranked contender at welterweight and could still be a future title contender. After the loss, Buckley said the goal was to take a bit of time off to get better and work on some things. A fight that makes sense is to take on Geoff Neal. It would be a fun striking fight, with the winner likely getting a top-five guy next.
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Topics:
Joaquin Buckley
Kamaru Usman
UFC
