Usman vs Buckley Prediction 6/14/25 UFC Picks

Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley fight Saturday in UFC on ESPN 69 at the State Farm Arena. Here’s a Usman vs Buckley Prediction. This article will include a Usman vs Buckley Pick.

Kamaru Usman Betting Preview

Usman went from being the UFC Welterweight Champion and one of the faces of the UFC to losing three straight fights and leading a card on ESPN instead of PPV. Usman lost in the final seconds to Leon Edwards at UFC 278, lost the rematch to Edwards at UFC 286 and lost a decision to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. This is the first time we’ll see Usman in about two and a half years. At 38 years old, it will be interesting to see what Usman has left in the tank.

When in good form, Usman is one of the best takedown artists in the sport, as he has a background in wrestling and is a black belt in BJJ. Usman has 10 career decision victories and nine knockouts. His only submission win came in 2015 against Hayder Hassan. Usman also has a takedown percentage of 89 percent. Usman rarely gets caught out of position and keeps the fight where he’s most comfortable. 

Joaquin Buckley Betting Preview

Buckley is riding a six-fight winning streak with his most recent effort being a knockout of Colby Covington at UFC on ESPN 63. Buckley has produced knockouts in three of his last four fights and has 15 knockouts for his career. Buckley has a wrestling background, but he’s never seen any of his 27 fights end in submission. His last loss came at UFC 282 against Chris Curtis.

Buckley is a big guy for this division and a hell of an athlete. His spinning back kick that dropped Impa Kasanganay is a classic highlight and earned performance of the night at UFC Fight Night 179. Buckley is a violent fighter who is dangerous on the feet but can hold his own as well on the canvas. 

Usman vs Buckley Prediction

Buckley should be the favorite, as he’s the younger fighter, has been more active and his power on his feet is dangerous. While Usman has shown he can fight standing up and throw hands, he lacks the power to scare somebody like Buckley. Usman will have to work through some shots to get the fight where he wants it. Usman hasn’t fought in nearly two years and hasn’t been the same since that knockout to Edwards.

With all of that said, Usman is still a super experienced fighter who has seen everything and I’m not sure we should be writing him off just yet. We’ve seen fighters who looked to be heading in the wrong direction bounce back when least expected. Usman can switch stances, which can be tricky for Buckley, and he’d have the edge if this fight went to the ground. A chance to make two times my money with Usman, I’ll take it.