Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley UFC Atlanta Odds, Time, and Prediction

UFC Atlanta odds suggest Kamaru Usman will suffer his fourth loss in a row. However, we don’t think the former champ should be underestimated. To see whether The Nigerian Nightmare can stage an upset on June 14, just keep reading this betting preview.

Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley Odds

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
• Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: ESPN/ESPN+

Can Kamaru Usman Stage an Upset in Atlanta?

Kamaru Usman is 20-4, with three of those four losses happening in his last three fights. It all started with a horrible KO by Leon Edwards in the final minute of the fight – that Usman was winning by that point.

In the rematch, Usman put on a pretty good fight but ended up losing by a majority decision. Then, he fought Khamzat Chimaev and lost by the same method in what was Usman’s Middleweight debut. But losing to those guys isn’t something to be embarrassed about. After all, Leon is the former champ while Chimaev is fighting for the 185lb title later this year.

So, why do UFC Atlanta odds favor Buckley to beat him on June 14? It’s not only because of Usman’s losing stream but also because he’s already 38. He might be past his prime, but his guy definitely has the skillset to give Buckey a real war this coming Saturday.

The Nigerian Nightmare is a hell of a wrestler – he’s a former NCAA Division II champion – who lands 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes. He’s in the shared second place on the list of active welterweights in the UFC when it comes to the number of TDs landed, with 59.

He might not be famous for his striking, but the fact that he’s got 9 KO/KO wins in his MMA portfolio shows that he packs a lot of power. He lands 4.36 significant strikes a minute, which is a pretty impressive number, especially given that he gets hit only 2.74 times. In comparison, Joaquin Buckley, who’s famous for his kickboxing, absorbs 3.13 strikes per 60 seconds.

Reasons Why UFC Atlanta Odds Favor Joaquin Buckley

Joaquin Buckley is 21-6 with 15 wins by KO/TKO. The other six wins happened by decision, while he’s got zero wins by submission. This shows that grappling isn’t something he’s great at. He does have a decent TD percentage, but that’s because he landed a lot of them against strikers who aren’t great at TD defense (e.g., Stephen Thompson).

Based on what we’ve seen from this guy, he doesn’t need wrestling and grappling as his striking is on a whole different level. He’s the guy behind one of the best KOs in the history of the UFC – the spinning back kick KO against Impa Kasanganay.

Buckley also KO-ed Stephen Thompson, and defeated Colby Covington by TKO, among others.

Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley Prediction

While we understand why UFC Atlanta odds are favoring Buckley, we do think that Usman’s got the skillset to stage an upset. He’s superior to Buckley when it comes to wrestling and we know that he can take a lot of beating without surrendering. So, if he survives Buckey’s strikes early on in the fight, we think he can wrestle his way to victory.

Pick: Kamaru Usman