Joaquin Buckley is gonna hang up his gloves after one more fight.
Last weekend, Buckley suffered his third straight loss in the UFC, getting brutally knocked out by Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Edmonton. Though Buckley handed the loss with grace three consecutive losses leaves him well outside of the welterweight title picture, and without a clear path forward. But now he has one.
Post to his social media on Thursday, Buckley announced that after conferring with his grandmother and other loved ones, he intends to retire from MMA after one more fight.
“What up, y’all. I’m gonna just be quick with it: that fight right there, it was devastating, and it really affected my family, the people that’s closest to me,” Buckley said in the video.
“Listening to my grandmother speak, and listening to her pray for me over the phone, and really being upset, and her telling me to retire and really kind of get away from fighting, and really kind of get away from the sport because your mind is your biggest tool and your biggest asset, and you don’t want to lose it. It took a lot for me to listen and digest it, but I took some time, I slept on it, and I prayed about it, and I realized that my grandmother is right.
“But, with that being said, I told her to just pray for me, and allow me to grace the octagon one more time, and to have the strength to step out there one more time, because I can’t leave on a loss. Plus, with my babies and everything of that nature, that’s the reason why I fight so hard. I give 110 percent for them every single time. So it’s going to be hard to literally not be able to give my fullest potential. And with me already having 18 fights within the organization within six years, I’m already knowing that I’m a workhorse. So, really, I’ve got to really save myself from any more mileage and any more damage.
“Y’all see my brother right here. He’s been training with me throughout this journey, and he’s been helping me get back in shape, and stay in shape, and do the things that’s necessary. But we’re gonna do it right this time. We’re not cutting no corners, we’re not taking no shortcuts, and we’re going to do the difficult things.
“But like I said, this the last one. But we’re gonna make our last one the best one.”
The body of Buckley’s post went added a little more beyond what he said in the video.
Love You Granny Thank you for your honesty and prayers 🙏🏿
All the people who’ve stayed close to me through all of this
I’m taking one more fight. This will be my last one ☝️I’ve given a lot to this game. More than I should have in some ways. There comes a point where you have to stop before you give up too much of yourself. This is that point. I’m doing this for my longevity and for my babies my Lightskin twin and my Lil Crust ❤️
So I can still be here, present, and whole for the people who actually matter.
I’m going to give everything I have left in this camp. And I’m trusting God to get me through whatever comes with it.
Buckley joined the UFC in 2020, immediately turning heads with his Knockout of the Year over Impa Kasanganay. Originally competing at middleweight in the UFC, Buckley dropped back down to welterweight in 2023, where he strung together six wins and was on the cusp of a title fight before losing to Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta last year, the start of his current losing streak. Sporting an 11-7 record in the UFC, Buckley also earned five Performance of the Night awards, and one Fight of the Night award.
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VIDEO STEW
RAF riot.
Full RAF press conference.
Robbie Lawler reacts.
UFC 333 Preview Show.
UFC 333 press conference.
UFC 333 Embedded, episode 4.
FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
No Bets Barred.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Among my best work ever.
Terrific fits from the guys.
This feels like a very meme-able photo.
He does know how to bring it out of people.
Sean O’Malley.
Look, Jones may be the GOAT, but he lost. If you think Matt Hamill wasn’t a loss, then you’re saying that the official record doesn’t matter, in which case, he lost to Dominick Reyes. Or if he didn’t lose to Reyes because of scoreboard, then he lost to Matt Hamill. You can’t have it both ways.
FEED ME MORE
The best part of the press conference.
FINAL THOUGHTS
UFC 333 is awesome. I am extremely pumped about the main and co-main event, and the rest of the card is also fun. Let’s enjoy it.
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