Surging UFC star Joaquin Buckley has included the organization’s top-tier welterweights Gilbert Burns and Shavkat Rakhmonov in his ‘top-5 kill list.’
Buckley also revealed a few other names he has on his list.
‘New Mansa’ returned from the middleweight (185-pound) division to the welterweight (170-pound) division in his most recent octagon appearance. In his 170-pound comeback, Buckley secured an impressive second-round TKO victory over Andre Fialho. Their fight transpired at the UFC Vegas 73 event on May 20, 2023.
In an interview with The Schmo, Joaquin Buckley has now revealed a list of fellow UFC welterweight athletes he’s most interested in facing in the immediate future. Highlighting his top-5 kill list, Buckley stated:
“I’ve got Vicente Luque. Alright? We’ve got Ian Garry. What’s that other kid’s name? Shavkat Rakhmonov? Yeah, he’s a killer now. He’s really about that life. But guess what? I’m about that life too. You hear me? So, I want him.”
Among the names ‘New Mansa’ listed were the No. 10-ranked UFC welterweight Vicente Luque, the No. 13-ranked Ian Garry, the No. 6-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov, and the No. 5-ranked Gilbert Burns. Additionally, he also named Kevin Lee, a veteran fighter who recently rejoined the UFC roster. Buckley said:
“Gilbert Burns. And I feel like there’s one more up there. Ooh, he just got signed, re-signed; Kevin Lee. I want all of them. Bring them in.”
Watch Buckley discuss the topic in the Instagram video below:
Joaquin Buckley gives an honest assessment about returning to the UFC welterweight division
After suffering back-to-back defeats in middleweight bouts, Joaquin Buckley chose to return to the welterweight division in his most recent matchup. As noted, ‘New Mansa’ was triumphant in his welterweight comeback, as he dominantly stopped Andre Fialho a few days ago.
Prior to his return to the UFC welterweight division, Joaquin Buckley addressed the same during his fight-week media day session. In response to being asked whether his losses at middleweight caused him to move down to welterweight again, Buckley said:
“Yeah. I got tired of getting knocked out…Yeah, man, being at 185, you’ve got a lot of heavy hitters out there… It’s not about being scared; it’s about being smart.”
Suggesting that the resistance and setbacks he experienced in his middleweight run will help him ascend to the top at welterweight, ‘New Mansa’ continued:
“I’m about to run past these dudes at welterweight. Let’s get this money.”
Watch Buckley’s assessment below:
As of this time, Joaquin Buckley’s next opponent and exact comeback date haven’t been officially announced. The knockout artist, who’s best known for his viral spinning back kick KO, has emphasized that he’ll continue competing at welterweight and aims to keep moving higher up the food chain in the division.
Watch Buckley’s interview in the video below: