After moving to welterweight, Joaquin Buckley is looking to make a successful run in the division. Buckley went to welterweight after a two-fight losing streak at middleweight against Chris Curtis and Nassourdine Imavov. He made his UFC welterweight debut against André Fialho at UFC Fight Night 223 on May 20.
In the fight, Buckley looked impressive and got the TKO win over Fialho in the second round. The win put the welterweight division on notice, and Buckley is ready to get into the rankings quickly.
Inside Fighting spoke with Buckley about who he wanted next, and the welterweight called out the MMA gym Kill Cliff FC, which also has UFC prospect Ian Garry.
When asked why Kill Cliff, Buckley said, “…Easy work. A lot of 170s over there, easy work. Buckley was asked about Garry, to which he responded, “Didn’t the Asian dude drop his a**.”
Buckley did praise Garry for his knockout win over Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ABC 4 on May 13 and challenged him to a fight at UFC 292 on Aug. 19.
While talking about who he wanted next, he also praised UFC President Dana White’s Power Slap organization.
“…That’s the type of event that you have to watch live. Everybody watching these highlights on Instagram, watching reels, and watching on Rumble. You have to watch that thing live, and I can’t wait to they take that thing nationwide. Man, it’s going to be crazy,” said Buckley.
Joaquin Buckley has a fight in mind – Ian Garry
— InsideFighting (@InsideFighting_) May 25, 2023
Via Inside Fighting's @andrewcapucetti @Newmansa94 @iangarryMMA pic.twitter.com/mMXMkkMKKB
Can Joaquin Buckley Fight Ian Garry Next?
Buckley is in an interesting position at welterweight. UFC has featured him well with his highlight reel knockouts, and he has become a fan favorite. A fight with Garry is possible, as neither fighter is signed to compete against anyone else. However, Garry is ranked 13th in the welterweight division and has called out Neil Magny, who is set to fight Philip Rowe at UFC on ABC 5 on June 24.
If Magny can defeat Rowe, UFC could decide to make the Garry fight happen. Although, Garry could choose not to wait for the results of UFC on ABC 5 if he wants to get on the UFC 292 card.
Buckley challenging Garry is an excellent decision to get fans interested in a potential fight. However, UFC must determine what is next for both of them in the division.
Read Also: Dana White Shares “Fun” Path Ian Garry Wants To An Eventual Title Shot
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