Another one for “New Mansa”.
Just five days after the violent loss UFC Edmontonmain event (watch the highlights), Joaquin Buckley has suddenly announced that his next fight will be his last.
The 32-year-old UFC welterweight announced the news in a lengthy Instagram post Thursday, accompanied by a video, explaining that he wants to walk away while he can still be around and healthy for his children.
“This fight was devastating and it really affected my family — the people closest to me,” Buckley said. “I was listening to my grandmother talk and her praying for me on the phone and she was really upset. She told me to retire and get away from sports because your mind is your greatest tool and asset and you don’t want to lose it.”
“It took me a long time to listen to it and digest it, but I took some time and slept on it — and I realized my grandma was right,” Buckley continued. “But having said that, I told him to pray for me and let me love this octagon one more time because I can’t leave in a loss… I really need to save myself from further mileage or damage… We’re going to do it right this time. We’re not going to cut corners, we’re not going to take shortcuts, and we’re going to do the last thing, we’re going to make it difficult, but this is the last thing we’re going to do. One of the best.”
Buckley did not reveal when his farewell fight will take place or who he wants standing across the Octagon.
The announcement is particularly surprising since “New Mansa” claimed he had no intention of stopping immediately after Mike Malott broke him with a brutal second-round knee at UFC Edmonton last weekend.
“I’m not going to stop, I’m going to keep going,” Buckley said after the loss. “I’m going to show you the team that I’m with, the team that I’m building and the thing that I want to do. Because at the end of the day, man, I’m a fighter that fights.”
Grandma changed her mind.
Malotti’s knockout marked Buckley’s third straight loss after losing to the former middleweight champion. Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady. Prior to that slip, Buckley had reeled off six straight wins as he dropped to 170 pounds, punctuated by stoppage wins. Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.
Buckley currently holds a 21-9 professional record with 15 knockout victories. His UFC run will forever be remembered for his incredible spinning backhand Impa Kasanganay One in 2020 most repeated finishes in company history.
Now Buckley gets one last chance to produce one more unforgettable moment before he calls it a career.
But let’s be very honest: do we really believe this?
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