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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 318 results: Paulo Costa shines against Roman Kopylov, calls out Khamzat Chimaev
Paulo Costa is back in the winner's column. Roman Kopylov tried his best to mount a late surge, but Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) built a lead too big to overcome. The middleweight bout served as the co-main event of UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. After 15 minutes, "The Eraser" outstruck Kopylov (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) to win a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Costa started the action with a series of hard kicks. Kopylov attempted to find a home for a few punches, but Costa was quick to slip and counter as they exchanged in the center. Costa continued to land well as the round wore on, mixing up his targets with punches and kicks. With a minute to go in the round, Kopylov attempted to close the distance and got dropped with a hard punch. His mouthpiece went flying, too. Costa swarmed for the finish, but Kopylov remained tight defensively to get back to his feet to see the next round. Early in Round 2, Costa continued working Kopylov's body and legs with hard kicks. Costa's pressure was high as he feinted and bounced around lightly on his feet, hitting his target repeatedly. A big punch stunned Kopylov, but he didn't go down. A moment later, another big right hand cracked Kopylov. Heading into the final round with all of the momentum, Costa continued to stick and move. Kopylov turned up the pressure, knowing he needed to turn the tide of the fight. As they traded strikes, Kopylov landed a very stiff punch that buckled Kopylov, but he couldn't capitalize on the moment as Costa taunted while firing back. During his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Costa called out Khamzat Chimaev, mentioning he wants revenge for sending DMs to his wife. Chimaev is currently set to face Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 on Aug. 16. With the win, Costa gets back on track after a rough 1-4 patch, including back-to-back losses to former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. Costa's previous win came against another former titleholder, Luke Rockhold, by unanimous decision at UFC 278 in August 2022. The result halts Kopylov's momentum, who entered as a winner of two straight against Cesar Almeida and Chris Curtis. Up-to-the-minute UFC 318 results
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov prediction, pick, start time for UFC 318
Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov meet Saturday in the co-feature of UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 68-50-1 Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 preview Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will look to end a recent rough stretch of 1-4, including back-to-back losses. Costa's last win came against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since then, he lost consecutive decisions to former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. ... Conversely, Kopylov (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has been doing well, although his competition hasn't been as stiff. He enters as the winner of his last two fights. Last June, Kopylov won a split decision over Cesar Almeida and then stopped Chris Curtis in the third round in January. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 expert pick, prediction The co-main event in Louisiana features a middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov. Despite initially leaning toward the favorite on first glance, I ended up siding with the underdog after further delving into past notes and fight footage. Even though I've been impressed by Kopylov's southpaw savvy, the Russian tends to harbor some terrible optics that stem from his suspect gas tank. Should Costa find his way back to a more front-foot pressure game, then that could pose some problems for Kopylov's staying power considering how hard "Borrachinha" works the body. Aside from being a much more skilled and nuanced striker than he's given credit for, the majority of Costa's UFC wins come against southpaws, officially standing at 5-1 in this department. Anything involving Costa will always feel risky, so I'll bite the bullet and back the Brazilian to win, likely by decision. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Kopylov -230 and Costa +184 via FanDuel. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 start time, how to watch As the co-main event, Costa and Kopylov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and ESPN+.
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 69: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley odds, picks and predictions
UFC on ESPN 69: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley odds, picks and predictions In a 5-round welterweight bout in the main event, Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The main event is expected to start approximately at 12:45 a.m. ET, following the prelims scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) with the main card set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC on ESPN 69: Usman vs. Buckley odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Usman (20-4-0) | Buckley (21-6-0) The former champ Usman heads into this matchup looking to halt a 3-bout losing skid. He lost the belt to Leon Edwards via a Round-5 KO/TKO at UFC 278 in August 2022, and lost a majority-decision in a championship rematch to Edwards 7 months later at UFC 286. Usman's last fight was a majority-decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023 before he took some time off to rest nagging aches and injuries. Buckley has been on a different trajectory lately, winning 6 consecutive fights. In his most recent showing, he won via TKO - doctor's stoppage against division veteran Colby Covington in a Fight Night main event in Tampa Dec. 14, 2024. Buckley owns 3 KO/TKOs victories in his past 4 outings, while recording 4 KO/TKO victories in hist past 6 fights, with the other 2 victories coming via unanimous decision against Nursulton Ruziboev and Alex Morono. Usman has a slight 4.36-to-4.22 significant strikes landed per minute, and the former champ is far more accurate than the southpaw Buckley at 64.27% on those strikes to just 40.55% for the American. Usman has a 2.82 takedown average, to just 1.78 for Buckley. The takedown-accuracy percentage and submission average numbers are relatively even. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC on ESPN 69: Usman vs. Buckley odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:29 a.m. ET. Fight result (2-way line) : Usman +225 (bet $100 to win $225) | Buckley -285 (bet $285 to win $100) : Usman +225 (bet $100 to win $225) | Buckley -285 (bet $285 to win $100) Total rounds: 4.5 rounds (Over -105 | Under -125) 4.5 rounds (Over -105 | Under -125) Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +110 | No -150) UFC on ESPN 69: Usman vs. Buckley picks and predictions If he is back to 100 percent health, USMAN (+225) is a fabulous value as an underdog for a chance to more than double up. While Buckley has won 6 fights in a row -- and is looking to position himself for a chance at a championship shot -- Usman is a proud veteran, who took time off to let his troublesome knee get better. As long as Usman can avoid the big kill shot from Buckley, who has 4 KO/TKO wins in the past 6 bouts, Usman should be able to do enough to wow the judges and get the job done, and Buckley will have to wait his turn a little bit longer. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! OVER 4.5 ROUNDS (-105) is OK if you want to have a little bit of wiggle room in the event of a potential finish late in Round 5. If not, go with YES (+110): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE at plus-money. In 3 of the past 4 fights for Usman, he has ended up going the distance, and he has made it to Round 5 in 8 of the previous 10 fights which have been 5-round events. Buckley has ended up going the distance in just 2 of the past 5 fights, but he has only been involved in a single 5-round fight to date. That was the TKO - Doctor's Stoppage win over Covington, which made it late into Round 3. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
Newsweek
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch UFC Fight Night Usman vs Buckley: Live Stream Ultimate Fighting Championship, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. UFC Fight Night returns on Saturday with a high-profile welterweight bout between Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley headlining the event, and you can catch all the action with ESPN+. Kamaru Usman of Nigeria looks on before a welterweight title bout against Leon Edwards of Jamaica during UFC 278 at Vivint Arena on August 20, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kamaru Usman of Nigeria looks on before a welterweight title bout against Leon Edwards of Jamaica during UFC 278 at Vivint Arena on August 20, 2022 in Salt Lake City, to Watch UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025 Time: 10:00 PM ET Stream: ESPN+ (WATCH NOW) Kamaru Usman enters as the underdog in the main event despite boasting a 20-4 career UFC record. His opponent, Joaquin Buckley, has not lost since 2022, and brings in a record of 21-6, with 15 of those wins coming via knockout. Long-time competitor Rose Namajunas headlines the women's side of this card as she faces off against Miranda Maverick. Namajunas is looking to win her 15th career UFC bout in this women's flyweight matchup. Maverick is the underdog, but he 17-5 record suggests she might have a better chance than the fans will give her credit for. Edman Shahbazyan versus Andre Petroski, Cody Garbrandt versus Raoni Barcelos, Mansur Abdul-Malik versus Cody Brundage, and Alonzo Menifield versus Oumar Sy make up the rest of the main card. This is a great UFC fight card that will not disappoint; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. Live stream UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley with ESPN+: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 69 pre-event facts: Kamaru Usman looks to avoid four-year winless drought
The UFC returns to Atlanta for the first time since 2018 on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 69, which goes down at State Farm Arena (ESPN, ESPN+). A high-level welterweight headlines the card, with former longtime champion Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) set to take on the streaking Joaquin Buckley (22-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) in a five-round bout with significant divisional implications. Advertisement For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 69. Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley Kamaru Usman Usman has suffered three consecutive losses after going on a 19-fight winning streak. Usman is one of two fighters in UFC history to start 15-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva also accomplished the feat. Usman's 15-fight UFC winning streak, which ended at UFC 278, is tied with Islam Makhachev for the second-longest in company history behind Silva (16). Usman's average fight time of 17:35 in UFC welterweight competition is the longest in divisional history. Advertisement Usman has defended 97.3 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history. Usman's 12 takedowns landed at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale are tied for second-most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82. Usman out-landed Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight. Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record. Joaquin Buckley Buckley is 6-0 since he dropped to the welterweight division in May 2023. Advertisement Buckley's six-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Shavkat Rakhmonov (eight) and Jack Della Maddalena (eight). Buckley has earned all 15 of his career stoppage victories by knockout. That includes eight of his 10 UFC wins. **Buckley is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head, which he did at UFC on ESPN+ 37. Renan Barao, Uriah Hall, Natalia Silva and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat. Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick Rose Namajunas Rose Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) was the first female in UFC history to have multiple title reigns in a single weight class. She's one of five fighters to accomplish the feat, along with Amanda Nunes, Carla Esparza, Zhang Weili and Julianna Peña. Advertisement Namajunas is 2-2 since she moved up to the women's flyweight division in September 2023. Namajunas' five stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six). Namajunas' three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Mackenzie Dern (five). Namajunas' submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history. Namajunas' six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are third-most in divisional history behind Andrade (nine) and Dern (seven). Miranda Maverick Miranda Maverick's (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) eight victories in UFC women's flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (11) and Katlyn Cerminara (nine). Advertisement Maverick's four-fight UFC winning streak at women's flyweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Natalia Silva (seven) and Maycee Barber (six). Maverick's three stoppage victories in UFC women's flyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (seven), Shevchenko (five) and Montana De La Rosa (four). Maverick's 23 takedowns landed in UFC women's flyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (49). Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski Andre Petroski (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) defends 85.7 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Roman Kopylov (87.2 percent). Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos Cody Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is 3-6 in his past nine fights dating back to November 2017. Advertisement Garbrandt is 2-1 since returning to the bantamweight division in March 2023. Garbrandt's 10 knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Marlon Vera, Petr Yan for second-most in divisional history behind Montel Jackson (11). Mansour Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage Cody Brundage (11-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 52. Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) returns to the light heavyweight division after a four-fight stint at middleweight where he went 1-3. Advertisement Craig's three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2023. Craig's six submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven). Craig's four submission victories by triangle choke are the most in UFC history. Craig's victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight. Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee Michael Chiesa (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) is 6-3 since he moved up to the welterweight division in December 2018. Chiesa's seven submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are tied with Kenny Florian for second-most in company history behind Demian Maia (nine). Advertisement Chiesa has completed at least one takedown against 18 of his 20 UFC opponents. Chiesa absorbs 0.94 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the lowest rate in divisional history for anyone with a minimum of five appearances. Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa Cody Durden (17-7-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) completes 55.6 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class. Ricky Simon vs. Cameron Smotherman Ricky Simon (21-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has landed 44 takedowns in UFC bantamweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Merab Dvalishvili (84). Advertisement UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ESPN 69 pre-event facts: Kamaru Usman nears four winless years
