UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley isn’t buying the hype behind Islam Makhachev’s addition to the division.
Joaquin Buckley has a chance to earn a welterweight title shot with a victory this weekend in the UFC Atlanta main event. Buckley and Kamaru Usman headline a stacked card this Saturday, marking Usman’s return to the welterweight division after a two-year hiatus.
Buckley, Usman, and Shavkat Rakhmonov are a few top names waiting for a shot at the welterweight title. But all three of them might have to wait amid Islam Makhachev‘s planned move to 170 lbs.
Makhachev is expected to face UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena later this year in a super fight. He’ll vacate the lightweight title later this month at UFC 317, which will be fought for by Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.
Joaquin Buckley isn’t buying the hype of a welterweight Islam Makhachev
Many are predicting Makhachev, the UFC’s pound-for-pound king, to run through Maddalena if they meet in the Octagon later this year. Makhachev is attempting to earn a second world title and earn an accomplishment his longtime friend and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, couldn’t amass.
But despite the hype of Makhachev’s move to the welterweight division, Buckley doesn’t look at the pound-for-pound No. 1 as a significant threat.
During his UFC Atlanta media day press conference, Buckley weighed in on Makhachev’s welterweight move.
“Don’t get it twisted, Islam ain’t no ‘big threat’ to the welterweight division,” Buckley said of Makhachev. “This is the deepest weight class that you can get into right now…with guys like Ian Garry, Shavkat, Sean Brady. Islam’s definitely going to have to prove to the world that he’s ready for this division, period…
“If Islam is able to win that 170 title, he’s going to move,” Buckley continued. “He’s done everything he’s needed to do. What is he going to do? Stick around? He wants a legacy pass…and I think he’ll retire, at the end of the day.”
While Makhachev hasn’t strayed away from retirement speculation, he likely isn’t retiring anytime soon amidst his new welterweight ambitions. He could potentially return to lightweight sometime soon, as proposed by his undefeated teammate in a recent interview with Bloody Elbow.
Makhachev is looking to mimic Buckley’s successes after moving to a new division. Since making the full-time transition to welterweight, Buckley has won six consecutive fights, including recent wins over Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson.
Islam Makhachev’s team refuses to book JDM showdown in Australia
As the Makhachev vs. Maddalena negotiations unfold, Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz recently scoffed at the idea of facing Maddalena in his hometown; Perth, Australia. After defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, Maddalena immediately turned his attention towards making the Makhachev fight happen in friendly territory.
Makhachev has fought in Australia in a high-profile matchup once in his UFC career, a lightweight clash with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. He defeated Volkanovski by unanimous decision.
When asked if he’d be willing to serve as the Makhachev vs. Maddalena backup fighter, Buckley brushed aside the idea, and welcomed a potential No. 1 contender fight against another opponent after UFC Atlanta. Time will tell if Buckley and Makhachev end up on a collision course in the welterweight division.
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