HYDEN BLOG: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from PFL 5 and UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley

Pinedo will fight Khaybulaev and Jean will fight Storely at a later
date to crown the PFL 2025 Featherweight and Welterweight Champions,
respectively.

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UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley
UGLY- Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy
They trade a few strikes here and there in the first round but that’s
about it. Sy keeps moving away from Menifield, who’s able to stagger
Sy once at the end of the round but can’t follow up. The second round
begins with more of the same, but with seemingly less action. Sy does
get a takedown at the end of the second round. The third round starts
and finishes with more slow-motion sparring and the crowd lets them
have it. We go to the judges to render their verdict.
Menifield wins the decision to improve to 17-5-1 while Sy drops to 11-1. Moving on.

UGLY- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage
They start off firing some heavy strikes at each other but then get
very tentative and not much happens after that, prompting more booing.
The second round begins with a whole lot of nothing. This is another
terrible round. The third round starts with a wild brawl and a big
headbutt between the fighters that knocks Brundage loopy and allows
Abdul-Malik to pound him out for the stoppage. Brundage protests that
it was the headbutt that dropped him, which it was, but it goes to the
judges since it was in the third round.
This allows Abdul-Malik to be awarded the decision and he improves to 9-0 while Brundage drops to 11-7 with 1 No Contest. -sigh- Moving
on…again.

BAD/GOOD- Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos
They trade strikes throughout the first round, Barcelos trying
repeatedly to get a takedown. Barcelos does cut Garbrandt above the
eye with a big knee. Barcelos gets a takedown before the first round
ends. The second round begins with some intermittent action that
continues throughout the round. The third round sees roughly the same
amount of action, which isn’t a lot but seems like a lot compared to
the previous fights, and we go to the judges to render their verdict.
Barcelos wins the decision to improve to 20-5 and has won 3 straight fights while Garbrandt drops to 14-7. It’s a win for Barcelos.

BAD/GOOD- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski
The first round is meh, with some lukewarm action. The second round
begins with an eyepoke from Shahbazyan. After Petroski recovers, we
get another meh round. The third round starts with a Petroski takedown. Shahbazyan drops Petroski later but not much else happens
and we go to the judges to render their verdict once again.
Shahbazyan improves to 15-5 while Petroski drops to 13-4 and has his 3
fight winning streak snapped. It’s a win for Shahbazyan.

BAD/GOOD- Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick
The first round has some good action so maybe things are turning
around. The second round begins with a few strikes before Namajunas gets a takedown. Not much else happens. The third round starts with a
lot of grinding and they grapple around for the rest of the fight. We go to the judges to render their verdict. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood
now but this fight wasn’t very good either. Better than the others so
far but still eh.
Namajunas wins the decision to improve to 14-7 while Maverick drops to
15-6 and has her 4 fight winning streak snapped.

GOOD- Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley
Usman gets a quick takedown and works his ground-and-pound until the
first round ends. Usman has busted up Buckley’s face with elbows and punches. The second round begins with some striking exchanges before
Usman gets another takedown. Usman works over Buckley with more
ground-and-pound until the second round ends. The third round starts
with Buckley landing some strikes, as does Usman, until Usman gets a takedown. Usman unloads with more ground-and-pound until the third
round ends.
The fourth round opens with Buckley having success on his feet until
Usman gets another takedown, though he had to work for it. Usman works
some ground-and-pound until the fourth round ends. The fifth round
commences with Buckley having his best success defending the takedown
and he makes Usman pay the price for trying. Buckley is fighting like
mad to try to get a stoppage but Usman is too tough and the fight
ends. We go to the judges to render their obvious verdict.
Usman wins the decision to improve to 21-4 and snaps his 3 fight
losing streak while Buckley drops to 21-7 and has his 6 fight winning streak snapped. Good win for Usman.

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Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at
hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank.
Thanks for reading and have a good day.