Joaquin Buckley

American mixed martial artist (born 1994)

Joaquin Buckley

Buckley in 2022

Born|  (1994-04-27) April 27, 1994 (age 30)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Other names| New Mansa
Height| 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Weight| 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Division| Middleweight (2019–2022)
Welterweight (2014–2018, 2023–present)
Reach| 76 in (193 cm)[2]
Fighting out of| St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Team| Finney's MMA (2012–present)[3]
Murcielago MMA (2020–present)[4]
Years active| 2014–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total| 24
Wins| 18
By knockout| 13
By decision| 5
Losses| 6
By knockout| 4
By decision| 2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Joaquin Buckley (born April 27, 1994) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2014, he has also formerly competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Alliance. As of April 2, 2024, he is #11 in the UFC welterweight rankings.[5]

## Background

[edit]

Buckley was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.[6] His father was never in the picture, so Buckley and his mother lived in his grandmother's house for the most part of his youth.[6] Buckley's mother passed away due to a heart condition when he was in the sixth grade.[6] He started wrestling at Marquette High School, growing interested in mixed martial arts, and eventually started training in it after graduating.[6][3]

## Mixed martial arts career

[edit]

### Early career

[edit]

Starting his professional career in 2014, Buckley compiled a 10–2 record fighting for Shamrock FC, Bellator MMA, and Legacy Fighting Alliance. During that time, he most notably faced Logan Storley on April 13, 2018, at Bellator 197. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[7] After two straight TKO wins in LFA, Buckley was signed to the UFC.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

[edit]

Buckley made his UFC debut against Kevin Holland on August 8, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174, just one week after picking up a win in LFA.[8] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.[9]

A middleweight bout between Abu Azaitar and Joaquin Buckley was expected to take place on October 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen.[10] However, Azaitar pulled out on September 26 due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Impa Kasanganay.[11] He won the bout via knockout in the second round, after connecting with a jumping spinning back kick.[12] For this knockout, Buckley not only earned the Performance of the Night bonus, but the video of his knockout win went viral on the internet. The UFC tweet with the video was the most-liked (359,000), most-retweeted (143,000), and most-viewed (12.8 million) tweet in UFC history. The knockout became the UFC's most-watched Instagram video ever with over 17.8 million views. Across three tweets, three Instagram posts, four Facebook posts, and a TikTok video, the Buckley knockout video has generated more than 65 million views and 83 million impressions for the UFC.[13] Rapper Kanye West even used the footage of the knockout to promote the release of a new song.[14]

In a quick return to the Octagon, Buckley faced Jordan Wright at UFC 255 on November 21, 2020.[15] He won the fight via knockout in round two.[16] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[17]

Buckley faced Alessio Di Chirico on January 16, 2021, at UFC on ABC 1.[18] He lost the fight in the first round via a head kick knockout.[19]

Buckley faced Antônio Arroyo on September 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann.[20] He won the fight via knockout in round three.[21] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[22]

Buckley was scheduled to face Abdul Razak Alhassan on January 15, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 32.[23] However, the pairing was cancelled after Alhassan withdrew for undisclosed reasons[24] and the pair was rescheduled to UFC Fight Night 201.[25] Buckley won the fight via split decision.[26] Of the 16 media pundits scoring the fight, 7 scored it in favor of Buckley, 8 scored in favor of Alhassan, and 1 scored it a draw.

Buckley was scheduled to face Abusupiyan Magomedov on June 4, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 207.[27] However, the bout was cancelled for unknown reasons.[28]

Buckley faced Albert Duraev on June 18, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 37.[28] He won the fight via TKO before the third round after the ringside doctor stopped the fight due to Duraev's eye swelling shut.[29] This win earned him his fourth Performance of the Night award.[30]

Buckley faced Nassourdine Imavov on September 3, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 209.[31] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[32]

Buckley faced Chris Curtis on December 10, 2022, at UFC 282.[33] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.[34]

Buckley faced André Fialho on May 20, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 223.[35] He won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[36]

Buckley faced Alex Morono on October 7, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 229.[37] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[38]

Buckley faced Vicente Luque on March 30, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 54, as a replacement for an injured Sean Brady.[39] He won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[40]

Buckley faced Nursulton Ruziboev on May 11, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 56.[41] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[42]

## Championships and accomplishments

[edit]

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
* Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Impa Kasanganay, Jordan Wright, Albert Duraev and Antônio Arroyo[13][17][22][30]
* 2020 UFC President's Choice Performance of the Year vs. Impa Kasanganay[43]
* 2020 UFC.com & Honors Knockout of the Year vs. Impa Kasanganay[44][45]
* MMAjunkie.com
* 2020 October Knockout of the Month vs. Impa Kasanganay[46]
* 2020 Knockout of the Year vs. Impa Kasanganay[47]
* MMA Fighting,[48] Bleacher Report,[49] MMA Mania,[50] CombatPress.com,[51] Cageside Press,[52] BT Sport,[53] Sherdog,[54] MMA Weekly[55]
* 2020 Knockout of the Year vs. Impa Kasanganay
* World MMA Awards
* 2021 Knockout of the Year vs. Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen[56]^

^ Voting period for 2021 awards ran through July 2020 to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Mixed martial arts record

[edit]

Professional record breakdown  25 matches | 19 wins | 6 losses

|
|

By knockout | 13  | 4
By decision | 6  | 2
Res.  | Record  | Opponent  | Method  | Event  | Date  | Round  | Time  | Location  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Win  | 19–6  | Nursulton Ruziboev | Decision (unanimous)  | UFC on ESPN: Lewis vs. Nascimento | May 11, 2024 | 3  | 5:00  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 18–6  | Vicente Luque | TKO (punches)  | UFC on ESPN: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot | March 30, 2024 | 2  | 3:17  | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States  |
Win  | 17–6  | Alex Morono | Decision (unanimous)  | UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green | October 7, 2023 | 3  | 5:00  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  |
Win  | 16–6  | André Fialho | TKO (head kick)  | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill | May 20, 2023 | 2  | 4:15  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  | Return to Welterweight.
Loss  | 15–6  | Chris Curtis | KO (punches)  | UFC 282 | December 10, 2022 | 2  | 2:49  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  |
Loss  | 15–5  | Nassourdine Imavov | Decision (unanimous)  | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa | September 3, 2022 | 3  | 5:00  | Paris, France  |
Win  | 15–4  | Albert Duraev  | TKO (doctor stoppage)  | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett | June 18, 2022 | 2  | 5:00  | Austin, Texas, United States  | Performance of the Night.
Win  | 14–4  | Abdul Razak Alhassan | Decision (split)  | UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill | February 19, 2022 | 3  | 5:00  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  |
Win  | 13–4  | Antônio Arroyo | KO (punches)  | UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann | September 18, 2021 | 3  | 2:26  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  | Performance of the Night.
Loss  | 12–4  | Alessio Di Chirico | KO (head kick)  | UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar | January 16, 2021 | 1  | 2:12  | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  |
Win  | 12–3  | Jordan Wright | KO (punches)  | UFC 255 | November 21, 2020 | 2  | 0:18  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  | Performance of the Night.
Win  | 11–3  | Impa Kasanganay | KO (spinning back kick)  | UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen | October 11, 2020 | 2  | 2:03  | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  | Performance of the Night.
Loss  | 10–3  | Kevin Holland | TKO (punch)  | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik | August 8, 2020 | 3  | 0:32  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  |
Win  | 10–2  | Jackie Gosh  | TKO (punches)  | LFA 87 | July 31, 2020 | 2  | 1:47  | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States  |
Win  | 9–2  | Chris Harris  | TKO (punches)  | LFA 76 | September 13, 2019 | 1  | 1:08  | Park City, Kansas, United States  | Middleweight debut.
Loss  | 8–2  | Logan Storley | Decision (unanimous)  | Bellator 197 | April 13, 2018 | 3  | 5:00  | St. Charles, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 8–1  | Vinicius de Jesus  | Decision (split)  | Bellator 185 | October 20, 2017 | 3  | 5:00  | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States  |
Win  | 7–1  | Justin Patterson  | Decision (unanimous)  | Bellator 175 | March 31, 2017 | 3  | 5:00  | Rosemont, Illinois, United States  |
Loss  | 6–1  | Jackie Gosh  | TKO (punches)  | Bellator 164 | November 10, 2016 | 2  | 2:44  | Tel Aviv, Israel  |
Win  | 6–0  | Chris Heatherly  | KO (knee)  | Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 | June 24, 2016 | 2  | 4:14  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  | Catchweight (180 lb) bout.
Win  | 5–0  | Kyle Kurtz  | TKO (knee and punches)  | Shamrock FC: Fuel  | September 11, 2015 | 1  | 4:34  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 4–0  | Stacy Bacon  | Decision (unanimous)  | Shamrock FC: Throwdown  | July 25, 2015 | 3  | 5:00  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 3–0  | Kalel Robinson  | TKO (punches)  | Shamrock FC: Showdown  | March 21, 2015 | 3  | 4:01  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 2–0  | Bryant West  | TKO (punches)  | Shamrock FC: Xtreme Fight Night 2  | February 21, 2015 | 1  | 2:28  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |
Win  | 1–0  | Wesley Sullivan  | TKO (punches)  | Shamrock FC: Nemesis  | September 13, 2014 | 1  | 3:46  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  |

[1]

## See also

[edit]

* List of current UFC fighters
* List of male mixed martial artists

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Sherdog.com. "Joaquin Buckley". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
2. ^ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
3. ^ a b Matt Frazier. "Young Buck: Finney's Next Big Thing". knucklejunkies.com.
4. ^ Farah Hannoun (November 3, 2020). "Does Joaquin Buckley have another viral KO in him at UFC 255? 'Definitely looking to do it again'". MMAjunkie.com.
5. ^ "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
6. ^ a b c d Kyle Nagel (March 20, 2015). "Fight Path: Joaquin Buckley finds support from new family at Finney's MMA gym". MMAjunkie.com.
7. ^ "Bellator 197 results: Logan Storley grinds out Joaquin Buckley for unanimous decision". MMA Junkie. 2018-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
8. ^ Matt Erickson and Nolan King (2020-08-03). "Kevin Holland vs. recent LFA winner Joaquin Buckley a late addition to UFC on ESPN+ 32". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
9. ^ Doherty, Dan (2020-08-08). "UFC Vegas 6 Results: Kevin Holland Plasters Aggressive Joaquin Buckley". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
10. ^ Staff (2020-08-22). "Abu Azaitar faces Joaquin Buckley at UFC event on Oct. 10". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2020-08-23. (in Dutch)
11. ^ Danny Segura (2020-09-26). "Impa Kasanganay replaces Abu Azaitar at UFC on ESPN+ 37, takes on Joaquin Buckley". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
12. ^ Martin, Damon (2020-10-10). "UFC Fight Island 5 video: Joaquin Buckley knocks out Impa Kasanganay with jaw-dropping spinning heel kick". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
13. ^ a b "Inside the viral knockout that made UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley 'immortal'". ESPN. 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
14. ^ Staff (2020-10-22). "Kanye West Pays Tribute To Joaquin Buckley's Viral UFC Knockout". awesomo.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
15. ^ DNA, MMA (2020-10-14). ""Mr.Viral" Joaquin Buckley boekt partij tegen Jordan Wright op 21 november tijdens UFC 255". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
16. ^ Evanoff, Josh (2020-11-21). "UFC 255 Results: Joaquin Buckley Gets Second Straight KO, Defeats Jordan Wright". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
17. ^ a b "UFC 255 Bonuses: Two Fighters Nab Performance Checks". MMA News. 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
18. ^ DNA, MMA (2020-12-25). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Alessio Di Chirico toegevoegd aan UFC FN 184 in Abu Dhabi". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
19. ^ Anderson, Jay (2021-01-16). "UFC Fight Island 7 Results: Alessio Di Chirico Flips Script With Highlight Reel Finish of Joaquin Buckley". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
20. ^ King, Nolan (2021-07-22). "UFC adds Antonio Arroyo vs. Joaquin Buckley to Sept. 18 event". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
21. ^ Evanoff, Josh (2021-09-18). "UFC Vegas 37 Results: Joaquin Buckley Finishes Antonio Arroyo". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
22. ^ a b "UFC Fight Night 192 bonuses: Anthony Smith's submission, Nate Maness' comeback TKO among winners". MMA Junkie. 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
23. ^ Heck, Mike (2021-10-19). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan on tap for Jan. 15 UFC event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
24. ^ Farah Hannoun and Nolan King (2022-01-04). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan scrapped from UFC on ESPN 32". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
25. ^ "Previously scrapped Joaquin Buckley vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan bout rebooked for Feb. 19". MMA Junkie. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
26. ^ Miller, Timothy (2022-02-19). "UFC Vegas 48: Joaquin Buckley Outlasts Abdul Razak Alhassan". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
27. ^ Farah Hannoun and Matt Erickson (2022-04-03). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov added to UFC's June 4 card". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
28. ^ a b Sherdog.com. "Joaquin Buckley vs. Albert Duraev Announced for UFC on ESPN 37 in Austin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
29. ^ Law, Eddie (18 June 2022). "UFC Austin: Joaquin Buckley Hurts Duraev Multiple Times, Wins Via TKO Doctor Stoppage". Cageside Press. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
30. ^ a b MMA Fighting Newswire (2022-06-18). "UFC Austin post-fight bonuses: All finishers earn $50k payouts". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
31. ^ Hannoun, Farah (2022-07-06). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Nassourdine Imavov joins UFC Paris lineup on Sept. 3". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
32. ^ Dewar, Val (2022-09-03). "UFC Paris: Nassourdine Imavov And Joaquin Buckley Put On War, Imavov Edges Out Decision". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
33. ^ Danny Segura and Nolan King (2022-09-24). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Chris Curtis booked for UFC 282". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
34. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-12-10). "UFC 282: Hard-Hitting Affair Sees Chris Curtis Drop, Stop Joaquin Buckley". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
35. ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-04-18). "Andre Fialho vs. Joaquin Buckley at 170 Among Several Bouts Announced for May 20 UFC Card". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
36. ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-05-20). "UFC Vegas 73: Joaquin Buckley Adds to Highlight Reel with Head Kick Finish of Andre Fialho". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
37. ^ "Joaquin Buckley vs. Alex Morono added to October UFC Fight Night event". MMA Junkie. 2023-09-10. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
38. ^ Dewar, Val (2023-10-07). "UFC Vegas 80: Joaquin Buckley Has Career-Best Performance in Win Over Alex Morono". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
39. ^ Mike Bohn (2024-02-15). "Vicente Luque remains on UFC Atlantic City with co-main event vs. Joaquin Buckley". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
40. ^ Hester, Bryson (2024-03-31). "UFC Atlantic City: Joaquin Buckley Stuns, Stops Vicente Luque". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
41. ^ Al-Shatti, Shaun (2024-04-24). "Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev announced for UFC St. Louis co-headliner". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
42. ^ Anderson, Jay (2024-05-12). "UFC St. Louis: Joaquin Buckley Shows Off Complete Game Against Nursulton Ruziboev". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
43. ^ "President's Choice". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
44. ^ "Fan Choice". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
45. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (December 25, 2020). "The 10 Best Knockouts of 2020". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
46. ^ "MMA Junkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for October: A viral finish for the ages". MMAjunkie.com. November 1, 2020.
47. ^ Mike Bohn (January 5, 2021). "MMA Junkie's 2020 'Knockout of the Year': Joaquin Buckley hits viral move for the ages". MMAjunkie.com.
48. ^ "MMA Fighting's 2020 Knockout of the Year: Joaquin Buckley stops Impa Kasanganay with acrobatic kick". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
49. ^ "Bleacher Report 2020 MMA Awards: Best Knockout". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
50. ^ Patrick L. Stumberg. "UFC/MMA 'Knockouts of the Year' 2020 - Top 5 List". mmamania.com. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
51. ^ Matthew Petela (December 31, 2020). "Combat Press 2020 MMA Awards: Knockout of the Year – Joaquin Buckley vs. Impa Kasanganay". combatpress.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
52. ^ "MMA 2020 Year in Review: Knockout of the Year". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
53. ^ @btsportufc (December 28, 2020). "🏆 KO of the Year - Joaquin Buckley v Impa Kasanganay" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
54. ^ Jay Pettry (December 28, 2020). "Sherdog's 2020 Knockout of the Year". Sherdog.
55. ^ "MMAWeekly's Best of 2020". mmaweekly.com. January 1, 2021.
56. ^ "2021 World MMA Awards Results". mmafighting.com. December 10, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Professional MMA record for Joaquin Buckley from Sherdog
* Joaquin Buckley at UFC