The Nigerian Nightmare returns to the Octagon for the first time since October 2023. This is the former 170-pound king’s first Fight Night Appearance since 2018. He will face No. 7 Joaquin Buckley in a five-round welterweight Main Event bout in Atlanta, Georgia. This fight card features three former champions: Rose Namajunas, Cody Garbrandt, and Usman. The last time the UFC held an event at the State Farm Arena was in 2019 for UFC 236.
This is Usmans’ first non-title fight at Welterweight since November 2018. If Usman dreams of becoming a two-time champion, this is his last opportunity to prove to the world that he still has gas left in the tank.
Even though his opponent, Joaquin Buckley, isn’t as accomplished as his past adversaries. He is still as dangerous as anyone currently at Welterweight. Buckley possesses legit one-punch knockout power that can put anyone’s lights out, including Usman.
Kamara Usman and Rose Namajunas are on a card together, and it feels like it’s 2021. At UFC 261 in April 2021, Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal, while Namajunas knocked out Zhang Weili in the co-main event.
Namajunas, a two-time champion, needs a victory to inch closer to a title opportunity. She most recently lost to Erin Blanchfield in November 2024. Her opponent, Miranda Maverick, is on a four-fight win streak but hasn’t fought someone on the level of “Thug Rose” yet. Namajunas is a -230 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Usman isn’t just a former champion. He is one of the most decorated in welterweight division history. He beat Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal (x2), Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington (x2). Becoming a UFC Champion is hard. However, reigning as champion for over two years while successfully defending the title five times is extremely rare.
Buckley’s most complete performance came in his previous bout against Covington. Yes, Covington is a big name with a great resume, but now Buckley needs to get past the guy who stood in Chaos’ way of realizing his dream.
This is Usman’s first fight in 20 months (October 2023) and his first bout at 170 pounds since March 2023. That is because the last time we saw Usman, he fought Khamzat Chimaev. Yes, he lost to Chimaev, but it was a close and short-notice fight at a new weight division.
Usman isn’t in unfamiliar territory. He was a +300 underdog against Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Usman is a +225 underdog, while Buckley is the betting favorite at -278.
The Prelims start at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and the Main Card starts at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Check out the entire 13-fight card below.
Main Card | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN/ ESPN+
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| #5 Kamaru Usman vs. #7 Joaquin Buckley Main Event: | 20-4 (15-3 UFC) vs. 21-6 (11-4 UFC) | Welterweight | +225 vs. -278 |
| #7 Rose Namajunas vs. #11 Miranda Maverick | 14-7 (11-6 UFC) vs. 17-5 (8-3 UFC) | W Flyweight | -230 vs. +190 |
| Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski | 14-5 (7-5 UFC) vs. 13-4 (8-2 UFC) | Middleweight | -162 vs. +136 |
| Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos | 14-6 (9-6 UFC) vs. 19-5 (8-4 UFC) | Bantamweight | +180 vs. -218 |
| Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage | 8-0 (2-0 UFC) vs. 11-6 (5-5 UFC) | Middleweight | -800 vs. +550 |
| #15 Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy | 16-5-1 (9-5-1 UFC) vs. 11-0 (2-0 UFC) | Light Heavyweight | +500 vs. -700 |
Prelims | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato | 17-9-1 (9-9-1 UFC) vs. 12-2-1 (1-0-1 UFC) | Light Heavyweight | +320 vs. -410 |
| Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee | 18-7 (13-7 UFC) vs. 23-13 (11-12 UFC) | Welterweight | -355 vs. +280 |
| Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Kris Moutinho | 9-0 (1-0 UFC) vs. 14-6 (0-2 UFC) | Bantamweight | -2100 vs. +1100 |
| Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa | 17-7-1 (6-5-1 UFC) vs. 7-1 (0-1 UFC) | Flyweight | +154 vs. -185 |
| Phil Rowe vs. Ange Loosa | 10-5 (3-3 UFC) vs. 10-4 (2-2 UFC) | Welterweight | +114 vs. -135 |
| Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Vanessa Demopoulos | 7-2 (2-2 UFC) vs. 11-7 (5-4 UFC) | W Flyweight | -625 vs. +455 |
| Ricky Simon vs. Cameron Smotherman | 21-6 (9-5 UFC) vs. 12-5 1-1 UFC) | Bantamweight | -500 vs. +380 |
