Top-10 fighters meet when fifth-ranked Kamaru Usman battles seventh-ranked Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley on Saturday. The main UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley fight card is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Usman will be fighting for the first time since Oct. 21, 2023, when he lost a majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev in his middleweight debut. Buckley is coming off a third-round TKO win over Colby Covington at UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley on Dec. 14, 2024.
Buckley enters as the favorite at -265 (risk $265 to win $100), while Usman is the underdog at +215 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. In the co-main event, seventh-ranked Rose Namajunas is the -260 favorite against 11th-ranked Miranda Maverick (+210) in a women’s flyweight bout. Before locking in any UFC Fight Night picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks. His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card, and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130).
Now, Vithlani has studied Usman vs. Buckley from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. If you’re wanting to make picks, also be sure to see the latest DraftKings promo code, FanDuel promo code and BetMGM promo code .
Usman vs. Buckley preview
After a nearly two-year layoff, Usman will be out to snap a three-match losing streak. The former UFC welterweight champion had successfully defended his title five times before being knocked out by Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. In a title rematch with Edwards at UFC 286 in March 2023, Usman dropped a majority decision. The 38-year-old has the third-most title fight wins (six) in the history of the UFC welterweight division.
Usman is the first Nigerian-born UFC champion and is a former Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament champion. He is a four-time Performance of the Night winner and one-time Fight of the Night recipient. In 24 career matches, he has compiled a 20-4 record. He has nine wins by knockout, one by submission and 10 by decision. Check out SportsLine to see his picks and analysis.
Buckley, 31, has competed in UFC since 2020. He first turned professional in September 2014, and is currently on a six-bout winning streak. Buckley is a five-time Performance of the Night winner, and was the 2020 President’s Choice Performance of the Year winner. In 2020, he was UFC’s No. 2 Newcomer of the Year.
Buckley previously competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Alliance. He registered the knockout of the year in October 2020, with a second-round knockout of Impa Kasanganay with a spinning back kick at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. In 27 career matches, Buckley has compiled a 21-6 record overall. He has 15 wins by knockout and six by decision. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley predictions
We’ll reveal one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley selections here: Phil Rowe (+125) to defeat Ange Loosa (-150) in a welterweight matchup on the preliminary card.
“I was surprised to see Loosa as the favorite here,” Vithlani told SportsLine. “Loosa will have the strength advantage and he could look to wrestle with Rowe to utilize his physicality. Despite his muscled physique, Loosa’s striking hasn’t been that dangerous, with zero wins by finish in the UFC. I give Rowe the boxing edge with his rangy frame. Rowe is 4 inches taller and has a 7-inch reach advantage over Loosa, which will serve him well throwing straight punches from the outside. I see this as a competitive fight that Rowe wins by landing the cleaner shots.” See who else to back here.
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley main fight card, odds
Vithlani has strong picks for Usman vs. Buckley and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley card. He’s also backing a fighter who “will land a jab early and often” to pull off a massive victory. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley main fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine.
Odds subject to change
Kamaru Usman (+215) vs. Joaquin Buckley (-265)
Rose Namajunas (-260) vs. Miranda Maverick (+210)
Edmen Shabazyan (-185) vs. Andre Petroski (+155)
Cody Garbrandt (+150) vs. Raoni Barcelos (-180)
Mansur Abdul-Malik (-800) vs. Cody Brundage (+550)
Alonzo Menifield (+500) vs. Oumar Sy (-700)
