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FIGHT CLUB | Jun 12

UFC Atlanta: The Fights & Fighters You Cannot Afford to Miss This Weekend!

UFC Atlanta May Be Flying Under the Radar, but It’s Secretly a Stacked Card

Manyun Manyun
- 8 minutes read
UFC Atlanta: The Fights & Fighters You Cannot Afford to Miss This Weekend!
Kamaru Usman of Nigeria | Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP

UFC Fights! 🥊

For Usman, it will be a case of proving he’s still got it.

Following an epic UFC 316 pay-per-view, where Merab Dvalishvili dominated Sean O’Malley and Kayla Harrison snatched the gold from Julianna Peña, it was always going to be difficult for the UFC to match said event, although the line-up for Saturday’s fight card presents a sleeper schedule, we should be paying attention to!

This isn’t just a mediocre Fight Night event like what we often witness at the UFC Apex, no, UFC Atlanta is a banger! And with one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history, Kamaru Usman, returning to face a new breed at 170lbs, Joaquin Buckley, we should anticipate a cracking main event at the least.

With that said, I’m here to wake you up to Saturday’s octagon festivities. You can’t sleep on UFC Atlanta, and here’s every fight and the fighters you simply cannot afford to miss!

Usman vs. Buckley: Main Event Slobber Knocker

When Usman, one of the most dominant welterweight champions in history, and Buckley, a rising contender with a six-fight win streak and 73% of his UFC wins by knockout, are in a fight that’s been booked, no championship titles are needed to bring the hype!

‘New Mansa,’ having run through two of the sports legends in Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington, both wins by knockout FYI, has already positioned himself as a legitimate title contender in UFC news. Still, success over another former great will unquestionably solidify his place as be next in line for Jack Della Maddalena’s recently acquired gold.


For Usman, it will be a case of proving he’s still got it. There was a time when The Nigerian Nightmare ran rampant in the division with a 15-fight win streak and five consecutive title defenses. Unfortunately, at 38 years old, he’s now riding a three-fight losing skid, and many questions from fans and media alike regarding his potential to compete at the highest level in his latter years.


Usman must demonstrate that he can still compete with the rising talents making their mark in the division. At the same time, Buckley seeks another significant win to solidify his standing among the increasing number of challengers.

The welterweight division is arguably the most talent-stacked in the UFC right now, and with this matchmaking, I anticipate blood to be spilt in the cage…

Boy, this one’s holding potential to be an instant classic!

Mansur Abdul-Malik (Vs. Cody Brundage)

Booking his first main card appearance despite having just a 2-0 UFC record, the octagon welcomes the return of Mansur Abdul-Malik this weekend, and if lights-out knockout power is your thing, this middleweight prospect might be your new favorite fighter to search in UFC rumors!

In terms of pro-MMA experience, Malik is still green. The Pennsylvania made his professional debut in 2021 and holds just a small 8-0 record. However, what’s most noticeable about his run to date is the fashion in which he’s dispatched his opponents… Everyone who has faced Malik to date has lost by round 1 or 2 knockouts.

Oh, and if you’re thinking that his knockout power has mainly been displayed on the regional scene, you’d be right… But don’t neglect the fact that he’s already finished Dusko Todorovic and Nick Klein by KO/TKO since joining the promotion last November.


As far as middleweight prospects go, we’re running pretty thin here. Fortunately, Abdul-Malik could be our savior. Saturday’s clash with Cody Brundage presents an excellent chance to evaluate Abdul-Malik’s development over the past few months and to observe how he measures up against a more experienced adversary compared to his previous opponents. Despite some inconsistent outcomes, the Factory X Muay Thai fighter recently showcased his skills with an impressive first-round stoppage victory against Julian Marquez, marking his 12th appearance in the UFC octagon.

Sink or swim? It’s Malik’s time to shine, and although victory won’t fast-track him through the 185 lb rankings, it will give him a 3-0 start to life in the UFC that we’ll have to start taking notice of!

Malcolm Wellmaker (Vs. Kris Moutinho)

On the topic of undefeated prospects who could be future stars, we have another lesser-experienced talent who has made waves in the octagon thus far: Malcolm Wellmaker.

As a Georgia resident, Wellmaker gets his first taste of UFC experience on home soil, and based on his performances to date, it’s looking like Kris Moutinho doesn’t stand much of a chance.

With a 9-0 pro record, Wellmaker is one of the rare bantamweights who actually finishes more fights than he doesn’t, and when it comes to highlight reels, can he achieve what Sean O’Malley almost failed to do four years ago?


Sadly, Kris Moutinho is most known for the beating he took from O’Malley in 2021. However, his durability as a punching bag was phenomenal that night, and the UFC has just re-signed him after he tore through four consecutive opponents on the regional scene.

For many critics and the UFC betting odds that place Wellmaker as a heavy favorite, this isn’t a case of if, but how Wellmaker wins this fight, and if you witnessed his counter-right knockout of Cameron Saaiman last time out, you won’t want to miss this UFC Atlanta preliminary card banger!

Oumar Sy (Vs. Alonzo Menifield)

Prospect after prospect, UFC Atlanta just doesn’t stop, but will Oumar Sy (11-0) be one of the newcomers fortunate enough to protect his unbeaten streak?

To be frank, the Frenchman bears a resemblance to a more imposing version of Abdul-Malik: an undefeated, emerging light heavyweight currently on an 11-fight winning streak. While still somewhat inexperienced, he has demonstrated enough potential to inspire optimism about what lies ahead.

The French haven’t had a big man succeed in UFC fights since Ciryl Gane, and while he’s far from the fame of his fellow countryman, notching a dub over Alonzo Menifield will certainly put him on a few more radars.

The Rest of UFC Atlanta

Honestly, if I were to cover all of the intriguing matchups from UFC Atlanta, we’d be here all day long. You cannot even call this card a sleeper on the UFC schedule because anyone who isn’t a casual observer will instantly recognize how talent-stacked it is.

For those interested, here’s the complete UFC Atlanta fight card:

  • Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley [UFC Welterweight Main Event Bout].
  • Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick [UFC Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event Bout].
  • Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski [UFC Middleweight Bout].
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos [UFC Bantamweight Bout].
  • Cody Brundage vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik [UFC Middleweight Bout].
  • Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy [UFC Light Heavyweight Bout].
  • Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato [UFC Light Heavyweight Bout].
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee [UFC Welterweight Bout].
  • Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Kris Moutinho [UFC Bantamweight Bout].
  • Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa [UFC Flyweight Bout].
  • Ricky Simon vs. Cameron Smotherman [UFC Bantamweight Bout].
  • Phil Rowe vs. Ange Loosa [UFC Welterweight Bout].
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth [UFC Women’s Flyweight Bout].

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