UFC Atlanta struggle week rolls on. Saturday evening, the well-known UFC Octagon makes its final cease earlier than the calendar turns over to summer time subsequent week inside Atlanta’s State Farm Enviornment for this week’s version of UFC Combat Evening.
Stay protection begins Saturday night with the undercard at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT. Inside america, this occasion may be seen from starting to finish on ESPN+. In Canada, Sportsnet will carry the fights this upcoming weekend.
Barring any changes to this weekend’s schedule, the ultimate model of Saturday evening’s card will characteristic a full 13-fight slate. There are some fascinating matchups to speak about on the UFC Atlanta primary card over the weekend.
UFC Atlanta Essential Occasion: No. 5 Contender Kamaru Usman vs. No. 7 Contender Joaquin Buckley
On the high of the invoice on Saturday evening, motion takes place at welterweight. The principle occasion of the night is an important bout at 170 because it pertains to the contendership for the category’ championship.
No. 5 contender Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA,15-3 UFC) , the previous UFC Welterweight Champion, meets up with No. 7 contender Joaquin Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC). This struggle is an marketed most of 5 rounds at 5 minutes per spherical to shut the present in UFC Atlanta.
Kamaru Usman might be making the stroll to the cage this Saturday evening having gone 2-3 in his final 5 fights. He’s dropped three fights in succession and hasn’t fought in over a yr and a half.
Again in October of 2023, he sustained a majority resolution defeat after three rounds of motion to Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in his first struggle after shedding the welterweight title by means of majority resolution to Leon Edwards (22-5, 1 NC MMA, 14-4, 1 NC UFC.) Usman hasn’t entered the Octagon since that autumn evening almost two years in the past as a result of points along with his knees.
How will he do in his first struggle since UFC 294? Tune into the UFC Atlanta primary occasion and discover out.
In the meantime, Joaquin Buckley comes into the struggle this weekend sporting a file of 5-0 in his final 5 appearances as a part of a six-fight profitable streak. Final December, within the closing UFC present of 2024 in Tampa, he scored a third-round TKO victory over Colby Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) after the struggle physician waved off the competition because of the latter receiving a minimize above his eye.
Buckley’s opponent’s knee points got here up throughout Wednesday’s media availability.
“With him not having [any] knees?,” Buckley requested the media on the UFC Atlanta press junket. “Simply good footwork, good footwork, transferring round Kamaru Usman. On the finish of the day, there are a number of fighters in my division who don’t know learn how to transfer. They only sort of stand proper in entrance of one another.”
With Buckley having gained six in a row, one other victory in UFC Atlanta may imply he’s as little as one struggle away from competing for the title.
UFC Atlanta Co-Essential Occasion: No. 7 Contender Rose Namajunas vs. No. 11 Contender Miranda Maverick
Instantly beforehand, the co-main occasion of the night occurs at ladies’s flyweight. No. 7 contender and former UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) collides with No. 11 contender Miranda Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC.) It is a three-round struggle at 5 minutes per spherical.
“Thug” Rose Namajunas enters UFC Atlanta with a file of 2-3 in her final 5 contests. Most not too long ago, she got here away on the flawed finish of a unanimous resolution after quarter-hour of motion to Erin Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in Edmonton.
To seek out the final time that Namajunas had a sustained profitable streak, you’d want to return to the time between July 11, 2020 and Nov. 6, 2021, throughout which period she reclaimed the 115-lb division’s strap. She briefly thought of ending her profession as a fighter just a few years in the past upon shedding the strawweight title for the second time earlier than deciding to go to the 125-lb division.
Can Rose Namajunas return to the win column this weekend?
Throughout the best way, Miranda Maverick, an alumnae of Invicta Preventing Championships and the winner of its September 2019 Phoenix Collection 2 event at flyweight, has a 4-1 file in her final 5 fights.
So far, she’s gained 4 fights in succession. On Dec. 14 in St. Petersburg, FL, she prolonged her profitable streak (unanimous resolution) after besting Jamey-Lyn Horth (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC.) It is a vital quarter-hour (or much less) of motion for Maverick, who will most likely discover herself contained in the top-10 at 125 on Monday if she emerges victorious towards the previous strawweight champ.
UFC Atlanta: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski
Additionally on the UFC Atlanta primary card on Saturday evening, you’ll see a middleweight tussle matching Edmen Shahbazyan (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) with Andre Petroski (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC.)
Shahbazyan heads to Atlanta for this weekend’s card with a mark of 3-2 over the course of his final 5 fights. Again on Feb. 15, he acquired his hand raised in victory after scoring a first-round knockout with a proper hook to Dylan Budka (8-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC.)
The knockout made his pockets heavier after the struggle that night, with UFC CEO Dana White awarding him a $50,000 (USD) bonus for the Efficiency of the Evening. Edmen Shahbazyan will attain a profession milestone on Saturday in UFC Atlanta, with this struggle being his twentieth profession look within the sport of MMA throughout all promotions.
If Shahbazyan turns in one other highlight-reel end, he may very well be in line for an additional bonus in struggle quantity 20.
Within the different nook, Andre Petroski is available in with a file of 3-2 in his personal proper over the past 5 fights. He’s gained three bouts in a row forward of UFC Atlanta and in addition fought on Feb. 15.
That evening, he scored a unanimous resolution victory towards Rodolfo Vieira (10-3 MMA, 5-5 UFC). With each Shahbazyan and Petroski having fought on the identical night, this struggle is a type of uncommon occasions the place each contestants have equal footing between appearances. This must be a enjoyable struggle to look at.
Closing Ideas
Which primary card struggle or fights are you wanting ahead to on UFC Atlanta? Tell us within the feedback.
