Joaquin Buckley thinks he beat Vicente Luque before they even actioned in the cage together.
On Saturday night, Buckley scored the greatest win of his profession, ending up Luque in the 2nd round at UFC Atlantic City. The win was Buckley's 3rd in a row at welterweight and will likely move him into the UFC's divisional rankings.
Speaking on Monday's episode of The MMA HourBuckley stated he understood he was going to win before the very first punch was even tossed.
“I seem like Vicente simply gave up in there– point blank, duration,” Buckley stated. “He gave up. He didn't wish to remain in there in the very first location. Before the battle began, he didn't wish to remain in there. When you're a fighter, you can simply notice those things. It's tough to discuss. You've got to act and learn.
“I understood it the minute I saw him. The minute I saw him at weigh-ins, I understood it.”
For the very first 9 battles of his UFC profession, Buckley contended at middleweight. Given that going back to 170 pounds this previous year, “New Mansa” is 3-0 and inching towards ending up being a genuine title danger.
When asked what's altered for the 29-year-old to put him on such a great run, he stated it's merely a matter of battling in his appropriate weight class.
“I seem like the distinction for me and who I am is, now I'm battling in the weight class I must have been combating in for the longest time,” Buckley stated. “It's still me. It's still the usual guy, however I seem like for me, getting success and having the ability to truly display my skill and my capability honestly– I believe individuals believe there's a distinction, however it's actually not. I wasn't combating in the suitable weight class for myself at 185.”
Buckley included that part of the factor he relocated to middleweight in the very first location was that he had a hard time to discover battles at 170 pounds. Now that he's a going issue at welterweight, he will not have that concern, and he wants to have his next one lined up quickly.
After the win, Buckley contacted us to heading the upcoming UFC St. Louis card, which occurs May 11. The card is presently headlined by a heavyweight battle in between Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento, however Buckley thinks he has a possibility to take that leading area with the best challenger.
“That's simply a sensation that I have,” Buckley stated. “If I'm able to battle in St. Louis, I wish to make it worth it. I wish to return and place on a program at the greatest level, which would be a centerpiece. Rather of simply belonging of the program, I would be the program. I ‘d be the reason that everyone is pertaining to the occasion. It's simply a sensation.”
And as far as challengers go,
