Joaquin Buckley, a knockout sensation, is poised to make his mark in the welterweight title picture as he prepares for a huge fight this weekend. ‘New Mansa’ is on a 6-fight winning streak and aims to keep the momentum going with another victory at UFC Atlanta against Kamaru Usman. Meanwhile, Buckley shared his thoughts on the current title scenario, which now features Islam Makhachev.
With four title defenses and a 15-fight winning streak as the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has his eyes set on the “second belt.” This is one feat that Khabib Nurmagomedov never achieved in his illustrious 29-0 career. And guess what? Joaquin Buckley has no doubts that if Makhachev somehow manages to beat Jack Della Maddalena and win the belt, his legend will be greater than that of his mentor.
“He’s [Makhachev] gonna be over his brother, Khabib [if he wins the 170lbs strap]. I ain’t gonna lie,” Jaoquin Buckley stated during a recent interview with UFC legend Demetrious Johnson on YouTube. Now, fans may wonder the reason why Khabib Nurmagomedov never tried to make the jump to the welterweight division and fight for that title. Well, it’s not a matter of why because ‘The Eagle’s father’s untimely death during the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to retire and take care of his family.
Well, that may have been the documented reason, but Joaquin Buckley claims Khabib Nurmagomedov had a different reason. He already ripped Islam Makhachev’s welterweight move, claiming that he chose not to fight Belal Muhammad since it was a more challenging fight. Now, Buckley took aim at Khabib, saying that he was quite aware of his physical limitations.
In fact, ‘New Mansa’ jibed at the Hall of Famer, claiming that he would have had difficulties in grabbing hold of any 170-pound contender. “But Khabib was smart, though. He knew he couldn’t handle guys at 170lbs. His arms were too short… He won’t get to nobody, bro,” Buckley added.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 8, 2019: UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of a weigh-in prior to the UFC Fight Night 163 at the CSKA Arena. Valery Sharifulin/TASS PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxONLY TS0C2440
In addition to that, Joaquin Buckley also shared his take on the potential fight between Islam Makhachev and the current champion Jack Della Maddalena. Unfortunately, the St. Louis native didn’t feel as if that fight was the way to go when it comes to the box office. Here’s what he had to say.
Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev makes ‘no sense’, according to Joaquin Buckley
When talking about big-time matchups in the UFC, the involvement of Islam Makhachev in a fight certainly helps draw the fans in. His dominant showcase of his versatile fighting style always makes for an exciting performance. But Joaquin Buckley believes the fact that he has to fight Jack Della Maddalena since the Aussie star holds the title isn’t going to do much for Dana White and Co.
The reason Joaquin Buckley shared for his claim is that most fans may not see this fight as a blockbuster matchup. “You know, much respect for Islam for actually going up, moving up in weight, and really wants to challenge himself. The only thing I say that’s some bull is just that matchup. That matchup don’t make no sense. Him and JDM ain’t gonna do no numbers,” Joaquin Buckley.
Whether Joaquin Buckley likes it or not, the fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena is going to go down soon, as Dana White announced after UFC 315. The soon-to-be former lightweight champ’s team is eagerly waiting for a date and location, so now, it’s up to ‘New Mansa’ to carve his own path into the title picture with a win over Kamaru Usman. How do you think he’ll fare this weekend?
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