Issue 211

November 2024

In an exclusive interview with E. Spencer Kyte, Joaquin Buckley opens up about his transformation, the lessons learned from early setbacks, and the relentless pursuit of greatness in the welterweight division.

Sometimes a setback is the bitch slap that commands you to level up or tap out. This was the message to Joaquin Buckley. Following a KO to Chris Curtis at UFC 280 in 2022, which left him sitting on consecutive losses, Buckley decided to upgrade his performance and hasn’t looked back. He did produce one of the best knockouts in UFC history - and the 2020-21 Knockout of the Year at the World MMA Awards - against Impa Kasanganay, which became the UFC’s most-watched Instagram video. His 5-fight win streak reflects this fighter’s star power, and this is just the beginning. 

“I’m not trying to be no 50/50 fighter because I’m not a 50/50 fighter,” Buckley told me ahead of his UFC welterweight debut against Andre Fialho for a story that ran on the promotion’s website, adding, “I gave a lot of guys problems at 185 — you can only imagine what I’m gonna do at 170.”

Buckley started his win streak on his divisional debut against Fialho thanks to a technical knockout, followed by another win in 2023 and three more victories in 2024. Buckley’s on the rise, and the show is only getting started.

A BIG YEAR COULD GET EVEN BIGGER

The 30-year-old kicked off his 2024 with a blistering effort to finish Top 15 fixture, Vicente Luque. It was a level-up effort from the St. Louis native, who lobbied to headline the UFC’s return to his hometown five weeks later. While he wasn’t handed a main event assignment, Buckley was on the card, putting up a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev to run his record to 4-0 at welterweight and edge closer to cracking the Top 15. Next was Stephen Thompson at UFC 307. The fight was deadlocked on the scorecards heading into the final round, and with two minutes left, Buckley connected with a right hand. ‘Wonderboy toppled, and Buckley earned his place in the Top 10, as well as a third 2024 victory and fifth straight win. 

“It feels good, bro!” Buckley said with a huge smile when asked about his tremendous year and overall success since moving to welterweight. “I put God first, and He put this vision in my head to do exactly these things I’m doing. A lot of people thought what I was doing was stupid, but it turns out it’s actually the best route to victory. Regardless of that, I’m just so grateful and so thankful to get the opportunity to go out there and do what I love to do.”

A NEW CHALLENGE

Initially, Buckley was booked to face Ian Garry at UFC 310 for a chance to hand the Irish standout the first loss of his pro career. But when welterweight champ Belal Muhammad was forced out of his bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov, Garry was drafted to replace him. This delicious co-main event will determine who gets the first crack at Muhammad’s belt whenever he returns. With Garry gone, Colby Covington was tapped to face Buckley, and the streaking welterweight talent couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.

“If I’m looking at the pros in this one, Colby Covington has fought for a belt three times, and he’s a higher rank than Ian Garry,” began Buckley, who admitted he was surprised when the trash-talking title challenger didn’t have anything to say when the bout was announced.

“I know Ian likes to talk too, but Colby’s the type of person that likes to bring the best out in his promos, and that gives me somebody that is gonna talk that talk and build this fight up to what it should be, get people invested into it.”

The new bout with Covington promises even more fireworks, whether you love his trash talk or mute your TV when he’s on screen.

LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM

Covington has been orbiting the title picture for six years, like a satellite that refuses to burn up on reentry. He won an interim belt in 2018, then had several title shot failures - two against Kamaru Usman and one against Leon Edwards. Despite his championship struggles, it’s difficult to dismiss Covington as a threat, as he’s won eight straight non-title bouts, is 17-4 overall, and is the most decorated opponent Buckley has faced, with a resume thicker than a fight-night steak.

“Fighting somebody like this that has been able to fight at the highest level in the game would put me in the situation where, once I beat him,” began Buckley, pausing as he shifted the direction of his thought. “He’s been finished before by Kamaru Usman, but I feel like I can knock this man out cold and doing that to a person like that — Colby is still a high-level athlete, he’s still a competitor, and if you’re not out there training the right way, he’s gonna embarrass you.”

WILL 2024 BE THE BREAKOUT YEAR

Asked how it would feel to wrap up his breakthrough campaign with the biggest win of his career, Buckley had an unexpected answer.

“It’s hard to answer that because we ain’t done it yet,” he said, wanting no part of discussing the victory before he’s done the work. “It’s not until I do it that I know how it’s gonna feel because I don’t — I’m not the type of dude to rush and say, ‘Yeah, yeah, I did it!’ I ain’t did s*** yet! For me, we’re still clocking in. We’re still working. I ain’t got time to be celebrating a victory that ain’t won yet.”

Buckley wasn’t ready to pop the champagne for a sixth straight win just yet, but he had no problem explaining how toppling Covington would make his year sparkle 

“There’s a good Christmas on the way!” he said with a smile. “If I go out there and put on a dominant performance against a high-level athlete like Colby Covington, it should speak volumes about where I’m at in my game. And I plan on knocking out Coby Covington in this fight, point blank and period.”

Should that happen, ‘New Mansa’ will carve his name into the welterweight contender list with bold, undeniable ink. And if Buckley’s KO predictions come true, 2025 might just turn into a highlight reel of New Mansa’s making.