Joaquin Buckley returns at UFC 307 in opposition to Stephen Thompson, however his most attention-grabbing interplay that week may very well occur when he runs into Daniel Cormier.
Again in Might, Buckley scored a unanimous determination win over Nursulton Ruziboev in entrance of a hometown crowd in St. Louis. Afterward, he determined to make use of his post-fight interview to name out UFC celebrity Conor McGregor moderately than anyone forward of him within the welterweight rankings. Cormier was one in every of many throughout the MMA group to skewer the choice as a waste Buckley’s microphone time, particularly with UFC CEO Dana White emphatically shutting down the request simply minutes later on the post-fight press convention.
That led to Buckley firing a shot at Cormier and different commentators for criticizing him, proclaiming, “Ya mommas raised some hoes.” Cormier then unleashed an expletive crammed tirade geared toward Buckley for daring to say his mom, who died in 2022.
Months have handed for the reason that altercation, however Buckley lastly has an opportunity to see Cormier in individual when he fights in Salt Lake Metropolis, because the Corridor of Famer and former two-division UFC champion is anticipated to function a part of the published group for UFC 307.
“I’ve been praying to the MMA gods that I run into DC,” Buckley informed MMA Combating. “I’m the kind [of] individual, I’m a fan of Daniel Cormier and all of the issues that he’s executed in his MMA profession. When you’re speaking about from Strikeforce to coming into the UFC and dominating and find yourself successful two straps within the UFC, due to how tough that’s and holding them concurrently at one time, I’ve obtained to respect it.
“However on the finish of the day, it’s like as fighters, I imagine that for me, the issues that I’m making an attempt to do, I really feel like DC may have helped me with making an attempt to go the place I’m making an attempt to go as a substitute of making an attempt to decrease me or break me down.”
Buckley says his greatest problem with Cormier got here right down to the choice to criticize his callout moderately than reward what Buckley did nicely within the combat, which counted as his fourth win in a row since transferring to the welterweight division.
As a result of Cormier has such a large viewers as one of many main voices for main UFC broadcasts, he instructions lots of consideration at any time when he says something. That’s why Buckley was initially upset at Cormier within the aftermath of his win.
“Any person like him has such a large voice and a large platform, any detrimental factor that he places on the market on me, there’s lots of followers which can be going to have backlash on me and never form of see my viewpoint,” Buckley stated. “As a result of he knew the place I used to be coming from, however regardless, he went to a special route and took it. That was his selection.”
Throughout combat week, the athletes competing on a card usually sit down for a gathering with the published group to debate coaching, preparation, and the upcoming battle forward.
These encounters have led to some attention-grabbing discussions previously, however Buckley isn’t trying to begin hassle with Cormier simply because they exchanged phrases over social media.
That stated, the 30-year-old contender welcomes the possibility to get in a while with Cormier on the mats, however not in some confrontational approach as if he’s going to begin throwing punches as quickly as they lock eyes with one another.
“Now on the finish of the day, we’re all fighters although, proper?” Buckley stated. “I shall be blessed to get that work with DC as a result of if I can’t actually speak it out with you, then we will work it out. Does that make sense? I really feel like me and DC, I’d like to see DC, but it surely’s not on some private [level] like, ‘As quickly as I see DC, I’m becoming to swing on him.’ No, as a result of I ain’t about that.
“If DC desires to make it like that, which I extremely doubt, however on the finish of the day, we will all the time get this work in as martial artists and hash it out.”
Together with his full deal with “Wonderboy” and the possibility to take one other step ahead in his pursuit of UFC gold, Buckley isn’t stressing a lot a couple of potential encounter with Cormier, however he does hope they get an opportunity to speak.
Buckley maintains he’s not holding a grudge or simply ready for the possibility to unload on Cormier once they run into one another in Utah. As an alternative, Buckley would love to show a detrimental previous with Cormier right into a constructive future.
“Ain’t no beef on my finish,” Buckley stated. “I wish to [break] balls, too. My factor is, similar to on the finish of the day, we’re all simply having enjoyable, we’re all simply speaking stuff. However we will actually determine these things out if there’s a problem or a misunderstanding.”
