UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley faces the biggest fight of his career on Saturday night at UFC Atlanta. And he believes that victory in that fight should lead to the biggest prize possible.
Buckley takes on former welterweight champion and pound-for-pound star Kamaru Usman in the main event this weekend, and is clear on what he feels should come next if he’s successful and claims victory over the former long-reigning champion.
Speaking on his podcast, Buck What You Heard, in the lead-up to his fight in Atlanta, Buckley laid out his position in the division, and said that a win for him this weekend would elevate him to championship contender status, even ahead of former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
“You already know once we beat Kamaru Usman, it’s title time,” Buckley said.
“It’s time to go get my belt. There’s no other person that’s been doing what I’ve been doing in the roster. I don’t really like to talk about other people and their careers, but like I said, mine’s been unmatched with not just having 15 fights within the promotion within five years, but as well going undefeated in the welterweight division. Also, knocking out every ranked opponent and, like I said, might get my fourth knockout of my ranked opponent in Kamaru Usman.
“You can’t name another guy that’s doing something like that. So once I beat Kamaru Usman, there is no debate, there is no back-and-forth, there is no argument. We up next.
“You already know we got this guy from 155 coming up thinking he going to take my spot. Nah, we can’t have it. I truly believe that with everything that’s coming, the JDM and Islam fight is not a massive fight to make.
“JDM is the world champion right now, but I truly believe that Islam’s got to sit back and just wait for me to get my title because I will be the hardest fight that Islam has.”
Buckley has already given some thought to a potential future bout with Makhachev, and said that he would hold the key advantages if they ever met inside the Octagon.
“He’s not going to out-wrestle me,” he stated.
“He’s not going to submit me, I’ve never been submitted in my career. And he’s definitely not going to stand on the feet with me. If the people want to see it, it’s going to be made.
“I already know that the fan base, they know what JDM’s about, they know what he’s good at, what he struggles at. That’s a toss-up for Islam.”
The prevailing thought is that Makhachev will get the first crack at newly-crowned champ Della Maddalena later this year. And while Buckley thinks a win over Usman should leapfrog him to the front of the queue ahead of the Russian, he admitted that, even if Makhachev got the shot and won the title, he wouldn’t hang around to defend it.
“Don’t get it twisted, if Islam does get blessed with that title shot and he does beat JDM, he’s not going to stay there,” he stated.
“He’s going to retire. He’s going to get up out of there quick because he knows he’s not a natural 170 fighter.
“And especially with myself, he definitely going to run from a person like me. So before that even happens, I’ve got to make sure I get myself to that belt.
“But you already know, the world ain’t fair, sometimes you don’t get what you deserve. So this is why we’ve got to demand it. We’ve got to go after it and we’ve got to take it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK17ByJnLpE
