There was no UFC belt this time around for his waist at the end of the night, but Kamaru Usman looked a lot like his old self Saturday night, knocking out Joaquin Buckley.

Usman (21-4) picked up his first win in more than three years at UFC Fight Night in Atlanta, as he defeated Joaquin Buckley (21-7) by unanimous decision in their welterweight main event.

All three judges scored the bout for Usman, via scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47. It was Usman’s first victory since November 2021 and snapped a three-fight losing streak.

“It’s been a while,” Usman said as he struggled to control his emotions in the post-fight interview:

“I needed to get that monkey off my back. I know I’m still able to do this at the highest level. … I expected him to be really tough, which he was. He’s a very talented guy. I show love and respect to all of these guys because I know what it takes to work and get here.”

Buckley down in each of the first four rounds and had very little difficulty keeping Buckley on his back and racking up offense.