Joaquin Buckley

Buckley entered UFC 328 trying to restart his contender push, but Brady's clinch work and control wrestling kept him from turning the fight into the striking battle he wanted. Over three rounds he was repeatedly forced to defend position instead of building offensive momentum, and the judges returned a unanimous decision for Brady.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision on the UFC 328 main card.
• Spent long stretches defending Brady's wrestling and positional control.
• The defeat left Buckley searching for another route back into the welterweight elite.

Buckley got a marquee main event with former champion Kamaru Usman, but the fight turned into a veteran control performance instead of a breakthrough knockout opportunity. Usman's wrestling and pacing carried the scorecards over five rounds, handing Buckley a setback after his best run at welterweight.

Key moments

• Dropped a five-round unanimous decision in an Atlanta main event.
• Usman's wrestling control kept Buckley from building his preferred pressure-striking fight.
• The bout still earned Fight of the Night honors.

Buckley capped his 2024 surge by wearing down Covington and forcing a doctor stoppage late in round three. The win mattered because it extended his welterweight streak against another high-profile name and showed he could keep a hard pace even without an instant knockout.

Key moments

• Stopped Colby Covington by doctor stoppage late in round three.
• Closed a major year with another main-event-level welterweight win.
• Extended the momentum created by the Luque, Ruziboev, and Thompson victories.

Buckley produced one of the signature knockouts of his welterweight run by flattening Stephen Thompson in the third round at UFC 307. The finish was a clean contender statement because he solved a difficult range-striking matchup and ended it emphatically.

Key moments

• Knocked out Stephen Thompson at 2:17 of round three.
• Solved one of the division's most awkward striking matchups with a clean finish.
• Earned another Performance of the Night bonus.

Buckley followed the Luque breakthrough by showing more patience against the larger Ruziboev over three rounds in St. Louis. Rather than chasing a reckless finish, he boxed and pressured his way to a clear unanimous decision in front of a home crowd.

Key moments

• Won a three-round unanimous decision in St. Louis.
• Showed a more measured performance after the Luque stoppage.
• Kept his welterweight rise moving with a second straight notable win in 2024.

Buckley collected one of the biggest wins of his UFC career in Atlantic City by stopping Vicente Luque in the second round. The finish mattered because it pushed his welterweight resurgence from promising run into real contender territory.

Key moments

• Stopped Luque by TKO at 3:17 of round two.
• Turned a high-profile co-main event into a statement welterweight win.
• Used the result to break into the UFC's welterweight top-15 conversation.

Buckley outpointed Alex Morono over three rounds in Las Vegas and kept his move to welterweight trending the right way. The win mattered because he handled a durable, awkward veteran without needing a knockout to control the fight.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26.
• Stayed composed through a competitive striking fight instead of chasing one shot.
• Extended his welterweight momentum with another clean UFC victory.

Buckley gave his new welterweight run an emphatic finish by stopping Andre Fialho with a left high kick late in the second round. The result reinforced that the weight-class move had not dulled the sudden explosiveness that makes him dangerous.

Key moments

• Finished Fialho by TKO with a left high kick at 4:15 of round two.
• Closed the fight with one clean kicking attack after a measured start.
• Added a highlight stoppage to the early part of his welterweight rebuild.

Buckley and Chris Curtis produced the kind of tense middleweight striking fight that always left one clean counter away from disaster, and Curtis found it in round two. The loss mattered because it stalled Buckley's attempt to build consistency at 185 before his later return to welterweight.

Key moments

• Lost by knockout at 2:49 of the second round in Las Vegas.
• The fight stayed dangerous in the pocket until Curtis landed the finishing punches.
• It became Buckley's last middleweight UFC appearance before his welterweight move.

Buckley came up short in Paris when Nassourdine Imavov used a steadier three-round performance to take a unanimous decision. The loss mattered because Buckley was trying to build momentum at middleweight and instead ran into a fellow riser who controlled more of the clean minutes.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.
• Imavov collected his third straight UFC victory at Buckley's expense.
• The result stalled Buckley's middleweight push before his later move back to welterweight.

Buckley turned in a dominant performance against Albert Duraev in Austin and forced a doctor's stoppage at the end of round two. The win was important because it showed he could carry his offense beyond a single explosive moment and systematically break an opponent down.

Key moments

• Beat Duraev by doctor stoppage at the close of the second round.
• Controlled the fight strongly enough that Duraev could not continue.
• Delivered one of his clearest all-round UFC wins rather than relying on a sudden knockout.

Buckley edged Abdul Razak Alhassan in a close split decision by adding wrestling and control to the usual striking threat. The result mattered because it showed he could win a messy, competitive fight without needing a highlight-reel finish.

Key moments

• Won a split decision after three rounds in Las Vegas.
• Used wrestling in the first round to widen the shape of the fight.
• Proved he could bank rounds with more than just knockout offense.

Buckley got back to what he does best against Antonio Arroyo, stopping him in the third round and reminding everyone how dangerous he is once exchanges open up. The finish kept his UFC run alive after the Di Chirico setback earlier that year.

Key moments

• Knocked out Arroyo at 2:26 of the third round.
• Delivered another stoppage built on his aggressive pocket striking.
• Rebounded from the Alessio Di Chirico loss with a needed finish.

Buckley followed his breakout run with a sudden setback when Alessio Di Chirico caught him with a head kick in the first round on Fight Island. The loss mattered because it halted the momentum he had built with the Kasanganay and Wright knockouts.

Key moments

• Lost by first-round knockout at 2:12 on UFC Fight Island.
• Di Chirico ended the fight with a head kick before Buckley could build his offense.
• The upset snapped Buckley's immediate surge after two highlight finishes.

Buckley proved the Kasanganay finish was not a one-off by stopping the previously unbeaten Jordan Wright early in the second round at UFC 255. The win kept his momentum rolling and showed he could turn quick turnarounds into more damage rather than slower performances.

Key moments

• Knocked out Wright 18 seconds into the second round.
• Handed the unbeaten Wright his first professional loss.
• Backed up his breakout October finish with another emphatic stoppage in November.

Buckley delivered one of the most famous knockouts in UFC history when he blasted Impa Kasanganay with the spinning back kick on Fight Island. The finish turned him from a newcomer into a viral knockout artist overnight.

Key moments

• Stopped Kasanganay with a spinning back kick at 2:03 of round two.
• Produced the signature knockout moment of his UFC career.
• The finish immediately changed the scale of attention around Buckley.

Buckley's UFC debut came against Kevin Holland on short notice, and Holland finished him early in the third round after a competitive, active fight. The loss mattered less as a verdict than as a reminder that Buckley arrived in the promotion willing to exchange immediately.

Key moments

• Lost his UFC debut by third-round TKO at 0:32.
• Holland scored his second knockout win of 2020 in the matchup.
• Even in defeat, Buckley established the aggressive style that quickly made him watchable.

Buckley closed his pre-UFC run with another violent LFA finish, overwhelming Jackie Gosh once the exchanges opened up in round two. The win mattered because it looked like the last proof-of-concept for the explosive middleweight the UFC was about to sign.

Key moments

• The fight carried real finishing danger on both sides, with the broadcast noting their combined history of stoppages.
• Buckley landed a heavy left hand that knocked Gosh down early in the fight.
• He kept building on that pressure, even flashing a high kick before the finish arrived.
• At 1:47 of round two, Buckley ended it with punches after another clean knockdown sequence.

Buckley barely needed a minute to break Chris Harris down in Kansas, turning an LFA co-main event into a one-sided stoppage. The fight read like a showcase for his speed and power, and it is one of the clearest snapshots of why his regional tape forced bigger opportunities.

Key moments

• The commentary team praised Buckley's angle changes almost immediately as he started finding the target.
• When Harris threw a kick, Buckley caught it and made him pay with punches.
• The finishing sequence was driven by Buckley's power, with the commentators reacting to the force and angle of the final shots.
• The referee stopped it at 1:08 of round one, giving Buckley a quick TKO win.

Buckley ran into a bad stylistic matchup against Logan Storley, who turned the fight into a wrestling-control performance and never let Buckley build a clean striking rhythm. It was a useful checkpoint fight because it showed how much Buckley's offense depended on staying upright and at range long enough to open up.

Key moments

• Storley repeatedly went back to takedowns and control instead of giving Buckley long exchanges on the feet.
• By the second round, Storley was again taking Buckley down, neutralizing him, and preventing clean stand-ups.
• Coverage of the fight described Buckley as unable to make it back to his feet often enough to change the pattern.
• After three rounds of that grind, Buckley lost a unanimous decision.

Buckley edged a close three-round Bellator fight against Vinicius de Jesus, surviving enough momentum swings to get the nod on split cards. The result mattered because it kept his Bellator run moving even though de Jesus made him work through a much tighter style fight than a clean knockout showcase.

Key moments

• The fight was competitive enough that one judge scored it 29-28 for de Jesus while the other two had Buckley 29-28.
• Commentary highlighted Buckley's straight left as a consistent scoring weapon on the feet.
• De Jesus created late problems in a close round with a takedown, guard pass, and full mount.
• Buckley still escaped with the split decision and extended his Bellator winning streak.

Buckley's Bellator 175 win over Justin Patterson showed he could bank rounds on a bigger stage without needing the one-shot finish. Sherdog's Bellator event page and Patterson's own record agree on the unanimous decision, and Buckley's page preserves the unusually lopsided cards, which frame it as one of the clearest scorecard wins of his pre-UFC run.

Key moments

• Sherdog's Bellator 175 event page lists Buckley as the unanimous-decision winner over three rounds.
• Buckley's Sherdog record preserves the scorecards as 30-25, 30-25 and 30-27.
• Patterson's Sherdog page mirrors the loss and shows he was only four weeks removed from a Bellator win over Jason Witt.
• The result gave Buckley a composed Bellator rebound after the Jackie Gosh setback.

The Jackie Gosh fight was an early Bellator setback for Buckley, who got stopped in the opening round before he had a chance to build his usual offense. Sherdog's Bellator 164 event page and Gosh's opponent-side record align on the same basic picture: Dan Miragliotta waved it off at 2:44 of round one against a grappler who had already stacked multiple guillotine finishes in Europe.

Key moments

• Sherdog's Bellator 164 event page lists Gosh's win as a first-round TKO at 2:44.
• Dan Miragliotta was the referee for the stoppage.
• Gosh's Sherdog page shows he entered the bout on a run of guillotine-choke finishes across regional promotions.
• Buckley later avenged the loss by stopping Gosh at LFA 87 in July 2020.

Buckley's Bellator 157 finish of Chris Heatherly mattered because it came against a former UFC veteran and extended his unbeaten stretch in emphatic fashion. Sherdog's paired records agree on the key details, and the Bellator 157 results coverage specifies that the finish came by knee strike in a catchweight bout late in round two.

Key moments

• Sherdog records the result as a knockout via knee at 4:14 of round two.
• John McCarthy officiated the bout.
• Sherdog's Bellator 157 recap identifies the matchup as a catchweight encounter.
• Heatherly's Sherdog page shows Buckley beat an opponent who had already fought in both the UFC and Bellator.

The Kyle Kurtz stoppage was another useful read on Buckley's early pressure game because he broke a submission-first middleweight before the first round ended. Sherdog's paired listings line up on the finish, and Kurtz's broader record shows Buckley was dealing with an opponent who had already built most of his wins through submissions rather than easy stand-up matchups.

Key moments

• Sherdog lists Buckley's win as a TKO by knee and punches at 4:34 of round one.
• John Duever was the referee.
• Kurtz's Sherdog page mirrors the loss and shows eight of his first eleven wins came by submission.
• The result came two months after Buckley's full-distance win over Stacy Bacon on the Shamrock FC circuit.

Buckley's win over Stacy Bacon is one of the better early reminders that he could handle a full three-round assignment before his Bellator years. Sherdog's paired records line up on the unanimous decision, and Bacon's page shows Buckley was facing a much larger light heavyweight who still forced him to win with pace and rounds rather than a quick stoppage.

Key moments

• Sherdog records the result as a unanimous-decision win for Buckley after three rounds.
• John Duever was the referee.
• Bacon's Sherdog page lists him as a 6-foot, 187-pound light heavyweight from Missouri.
• The fight came seven weeks before Buckley's stoppage of Kyle Kurtz and broke up a run of early finishes on the Shamrock FC circuit.

The Kalel Robinson fight pushed Buckley deeper than some of his surrounding early knockouts, but he still found the late finish before the cards were needed. Sherdog's Buckley record fixes the stoppage at 4:01 of round three, and later Midwest regional records show Robinson kept competing for years afterward, which gives the result a little more substance than a one-off local pairing.

Key moments

• Buckley's Sherdog page lists the result as a TKO by punches at 4:01 of round three.
• John Duever was the referee again on the Shamrock FC show.
• The finish came later than Buckley's surrounding Bryant West and Wesley Sullivan stoppages, showing he could keep pressure on into the final round.
• Sherdog records show Robinson was still fighting in the Midwest scene years later, including a 2019 bout with Dallas Jennings.

Buckley needed less than half a round to overwhelm Bryant West, which fit the pattern his early regional record would keep repeating. Sherdog's paired listings align on the first-round TKO, and West's own page shows he had scored a five-second knockout in his previous fight, so Buckley was not being matched with someone who had never shown a finish threat.

Key moments

• Sherdog lists the fight as a Buckley TKO win at 2:28 of round one.
• Mike England was the referee.
• Bryant West's Sherdog page mirrors the loss from the opponent side.
• West had knocked out Aaron Highfill in five seconds in his prior bout, giving Buckley a live regional opponent rather than a total novice.

Buckley's pro record started in earnest with a quick finish over Wesley Sullivan on the Shamrock FC circuit, and the opponent-side record helps keep the framing honest. Sherdog's paired pages agree on the round-one TKO at 3:46, and Sullivan's later file shows Buckley beat someone who stayed active for years afterward even if the overall record remained rough.

Key moments

• Sherdog records the bout as a TKO win for Buckley at 3:46 of round one.
• John Duever officiated the stoppage.
• Sullivan's Sherdog page mirrors the loss and shows he was a Nashville-based welterweight.
• It was Buckley's first listed pro win before the later Shamrock FC stoppages of Bryant West and Kalel Robinson.