Joaquin Buckley Plans One Final UFC Fight After Grandmother's Plea
The welterweight veteran says his grandmother convinced him it is time after his third straight loss.
Joaquin "New Mansa" Buckley says he will retire from mixed martial arts after one more UFC fight. The 32-year-old welterweight made the announcement on social media following his third consecutive loss, a second-round knockout at the hands of Mike Malott at UFC Edmonton on October 17, per Sherdog.
Buckley said the decision came after a phone call with his grandmother, who urged him to stop fighting after watching the Malott knockout. He said he took time to consider her advice, prayed about it, and agreed she was right.
"This is the last one, but we gonna make our last one the best one," Buckley wrote on social media, per Sherdog.
The three-fight skid has been rough. Buckley dropped decisions to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady before the Malott finish, a stretch that took a fighter who once appeared on the verge of title contention and pushed him to the brink. His overall record stands at 21-9.
Buckley has not named a preferred opponent for his final bout. The tone of his post suggests he wants one more opportunity to go out on his terms, with a win, rather than let his career end on a knockout loss. Whether the UFC gives him a favorable matchup for the farewell remains to be seen, but Buckley's name recognition and highlight-reel history make it likely he gets the fight he wants. Few fighters in the promotion's history have produced a more viral knockout than Buckley's spinning back kick finish that became one of the most replayed clips in UFC history.
I respect this. Buckley could keep cashing checks and fighting through the skid, but his grandmother told him what his corner never would, and he listened. That takes a different kind of toughness.
Three straight losses is a hard place for any fighter, especially when the last one is a knockout. The Malott knee was nasty. When your family is watching that happen live and calling you afterward asking you to stop, the conversation changes fast.
I hope the UFC gives him the right matchup for the last one. Not a murderer's row opponent, but somebody who makes it a real fight. Buckley has given this sport some of the most electric knockouts we have ever seen. He deserves a chance to walk out on his feet with his hand raised. One more, then go be with the people who love you.
