The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Hotlanta will have a
solid one-two punch in the marquee.

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The promotion released
information about its upcoming trip to Atlanta on Friday,
announcing the headliner the June 14 card. In the main attraction
will be Kamaru
Usman (20-4) against Joaquin
Buckley (21-6) in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. It will
be Usman’s return to 170 pounds after a one-off outing at
middleweight, and overall, his first appearance since October
2023—he will be searching for his first victory since his rematch
with Colby
Covington in 2021.

Former beltholder Usman is looking to put a three-fight skid in the
rear-view, with two of those three coming to Leon
Edwards with the third defeat against Khamzat
Chimaev on short notice. Before the knockout loss to Edwards,
“The Nigerian Nightmare” had racked up 15 straight victories in the
Octagon—one shy of Anderson
Silva’s overall record. During his run at the top, Usman
captured the throne from Tyron
Woodley, and he defended it five times against Covington
(twice), Jorge
Masvidal (twice) and Gilbert
Burns.

This will be the biggest fight in the career of former middleweight
Buckley. With his campaign at 185 pounds less-than-spectacular,
Buckley moved down to welterweight after a loss to Chris
Curtis and has not looked back. Winner of six straight
including four knockouts, Buckley wiped out names like Vicente
Luque and Stephen
Thompson before his most recent showing, a doctor stoppage TKO
of Covington.

UFC Atlanta, also known as
UFC on ESPN 69, goes down at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on
June 14. With the main event now set, it joins a card with a
co-headliner of Rosa Namajunas vs. Miranda
Maverick at flyweight. Other marquee fights on the billing
include a middleweight tilt pitting Edmen
Shahbazyan against Andre
Petroski and a light heavyweight banger when Alonzo
Menifield meets Oumar Sy.

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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