Athletes
Joaquin Buckley Is Hunting The Division’s Best
Middleweight Joaquin Buckley Understands The Territory He Enters On Saturday At UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa, But He's Ready To Put On A Unforgettable Performance
Joaquin Buckley’s name is associated with one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history.
And while it’s amazing for the 28-year-old middleweight to own one of the most memorable we’ve ever seen, his true goal is become a world champion – not to be known as the type of fighter who’s only good for an occasional highlight reel knockout.
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Buckley is taking that next step toward contender status this weekend when he faces Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa. Buckley enters the bout on a three-fight win streak while feeling like he’s been able to show depth in his skill set in each of those fights.
Part of the reason for those improvements in his game come from the fact that over the last year, Buckley was finally able to focus on training MMA full-time. His work in Michigan at Murcielago MMA has helped him transform potential into undeniable skill.
Joaquin Buckley Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa
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Joaquin Buckley Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa
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“The ability that I have, I know that I can beat anybody on any given day anywhere on the planet and I can’t wait to show that on September 3rd,” Buckley told UFC.com. “I don’t have to think about it when I’m out there fighting; everything is just adjustments. [Before being full-time] when I would adjust, I would have to think about it, but now my body is just in tune. It’s like I’m on autopilot and my body is just moving.”
As for people that have been sleeping on him or overlooking what he’s accomplished since his viral knockout win over Impa Kasanganay in 2020, he’s just going to let his fights get their attention.
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“Other people have to catch up and find out,” Buckley said.
“I think the best things about what these fights have been doing [for me] is I haven’t been fighting the same type of people. Because of that, I’ve been able to show everybody that I’m very well rounded and my game is a little more elevated than just being a devastating fighter – which I am that still.
“I’m also an intelligent fighter when I walk in there. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, all he got to do is catch you one time and it’s over.’ But the thing is, I can break you down, too, as people saw in the Albert Duraev fight. My biggest thing is just adapting to any opponent I have and I’m not going to have an issue.”
Buckley knows his next fight is a big one and that he’ll be fighting in hostile territory against Imavov, who trains out of the MMA Factory in Paris. And even though he’ll likely be on the receiving end of some heckling on Saturday, Buckley is confident that he’ll win the Accor Arena crowd over by night’s end.
“It’s only natural, because when they hear France, they’re going to cheer and when they hear the opposite they’re going to boo,” Buckley said. “But when I do what I do, and I go out there and dominate, and I show people how great I am, and I put on a performance they’ll never forget, they’ll stand and cheer. They’ll be like, ‘Joaquin needs to come back to Paris.’ It’ll be my night.”
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Imavov has quickly ascended the middleweight ladder thanks to statement wins over Ian Heinisch and Edmen Shahbazyan. Those two earned Imavov the No. 12 spot in the division. A spot that Buckley came all the way across the pond to claim.
“I think he’s done enough to do what he’s doing. If he’s happy to be No. 12 in the world that’s cool, but we’re coming to take that number away from him. And regardless, my biggest thing is becoming a world champion,” Buckley said. “No matter what he’s done or what he thinks he’s going to do, I’m here to do one thing and one thing only, and that’s become a world champion. He’s in the way, so I have to get him out of there.”
Buckley is expecting Imavov to have a little extra motivation to put on a show in front of a pro-French crowd, but if he’s being honest, he doesn’t think it’ll change the intensity or tactics that Imavov will bring to the Octagon.
“He’s naturally going to want to do that even if he’s at the UFC APEX. What’s going to happen is going to happen,” Buckley said. “I just know it’s going to be a fight. He’s happy to be in a situation where he gets to put on for his people and come out and put on an exciting fight. I’m just ready to do the same thing and put on a great performance.”
If Buckley’s performance is anything like the flashes of brilliance we’ve seen in his wins over Kasanganay, Jordan Wright, Antonio Arroyo, or Duraev, then he’ll definitely earn the respect of French fight fans.
As far as the respect within the rest of the division and MMA community, a definitive win over Imavov would likely get “New Mansa” his first ranking inside the middleweight Top 15 – a place that Buckley has been aiming for since the first day he signed with the UFC.
“The hunt is on, and everybody is the prey right now. It’s over, I’m coming.”
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa took place on September 3, 2022, live from the Accor Arena in Paris, France. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
