“Tired of getting knocked out,” Former middleweight Joaquin Buckley reveals REAL reason behind welterweight move

In a bold move fueled by a desire for change, Joaquin Buckley, is set to embark on a new chapter .

“Tired of getting knocked out,” Former middleweight Joaquin Buckley reveals REAL reason behind welterweight move

Joaquin Buckley is tired of getting knocked out (Image via The Irish Sun/Yahoo Sports)

UFC fighter Joaquin Buckley has decided to stop competing in the middleweight division. He made this choice after being brutally honest about his reasons. Joaquin has already received four Performance of the Night awards out of his nine fights. However, his decision to move to the welterweight weight class wasn’t an easy one for him.

Joaquin Buckley delivered one of the most incredible knockouts in martial arts history inside the UFC cage. In 2020, he unleashed a devastating spinning back kick on his opponent, Impa Kasanganay, during the second round of UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. This knockout was the kind of jaw-dropping move that fans usually see in movies. Buckley’s impressive kick earned him a well-deserved reputation as a fighter to watch out for.

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Buckley’s knockout was named the UFC knockout-of-the-year for 2020. He made his UFC debut in the same year, with a loss to Kevin Holland, but within two months, he made a remarkable comeback in the cage with an extraordinary kick. This kick became one of the most memorable moments in UFC history, cherished by fans. However, Joaquin acknowledges that his journey hasn’t been as smooth as he had hoped for.

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After his fight against Holland, Joaquin Buckley had a successful streak, winning five out of his next six fights. However, something bothered him after his last two losses, leading him to make a decision. Buckley chose to leave the middleweight division and transition to a lower weight class. In a recent interview, he discussed his future plans for his fighting career.

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UFC knockout-of-the-year awardee Joaquin Buckley gives up Middleweight division

Joaquin Buckley KOs opponent
Joaquin Buckley KOs opponent (Image via MMA Junkie)

Joaquin Buckley’s last Knockout loss was against Chris Curtis. After five months, Buckley cleared everyone’s doubts about his decision during one of the latest interviews. The decision was more straightforward as he revealed he was ‘tired’ of facing the same loss pattern.

Buckley revealed, “Yeah. I got tired of getting knocked out; I ain’t going to lie to you,” he said. “Being at 185, you got a lot of heavy hitters out there. One thing about me, mentally, I’m not scared to fight anybody, but sometimes that’s the problem.”

He elaborated that the decision comes from an intellect point of view rather than any fear.“It’s not about being scared, it’s about being smart. Right now, me being at 170, I feel like even though I took losses at 185, they prepared me for these moments at welterweight. The resistance and the strength that I was dealing with at 185, man, I’m about to run past these dudes at welterweight. Let’s get this money,” said Buckley.

With a record of 5 wins and 4 losses from his 9 fights, Joaquin Buckley’s decision to move to a lower division was influenced by this factor. Currently, he is focused on his upcoming fight against André Fialho on the UFC fight night card scheduled for May 20th. Buckley is determined to put on a captivating performance and make a statement in the octagon.

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