Joaquin Buckley - trash talks and Quotes
When thinking about Joaquin Buckley, the sentiment isn’t just power—it’s reinvention through violence. Buckley didn’t simply enter the UFC; he erupted into it. One spinning back kick in 2020 didn’t just win a fight—it froze time, looped endlessly on social media, and etched his name into MMA history as the author of the “Knockout of the Century.” But what separates Buckley from countless viral flashes is what came next. Instead of living off the clip, he chose the harder road: evolution.
Buckley’s verbal style is bold, unfiltered, and aspirational. He speaks like a man who knows the cameras are on—but also like a fighter who fully intends to back every word with action. His defining declaration—
“I want to be rich, and I want to be king”
—isn’t just bravado. It’s branding, ambition, and intent rolled into one. Under the banner of “New Mansa,” Buckley reframed his career around legacy, wealth, and dominance, pulling from African royalty symbolism to declare himself more than a highlight—he’s a movement.
On SportzOnly, Buckley fits squarely into the Showmanship and Fearless Aggression categories. He fights with what he calls “bad intentions,” openly citing the influence of Mike Tyson’s kill-or-be-killed mindset. That philosophy bleeds into both his style and his soundbites. Buckley doesn’t aim to edge out decisions or play it safe—he hunts moments that will last forever. Ten seconds. One strike. Eternal replay.
His transition to welterweight marked the second act of his rise. Faster, sharper, and visibly more comfortable, Buckley stopped being labeled a middleweight curiosity and started becoming a 170-pound problem. Wins over elite names reframed him from “viral guy” to legitimate contender, and his confidence only grew sharper. When Buckley talks about “boogeymen” in the division, he doesn’t exclude himself—he inserts his name into the fear conversation.
That confidence also fuels his provocative callouts, including his infamous verbal shot at Conor McGregor, a moment that divided fans but undeniably amplified attention. Love him or hate him, Buckley understands the modern fight economy: relevance matters, momentum matters, and silence gets you nowhere. His rivalry orbit now includes elite welterweights like Kamaru Usman, signaling just how far he’s climbed.
What makes Joaquin Buckley compelling isn’t just how he finishes fights—it’s why. He fights with urgency, with hunger, and with the belief that every walk to the Octagon could define his family’s future. That intensity is real, and fans feel it.
Below is the timeline of Joaquin Buckley’s most revealing quotes—from viral ambition and savage callouts to reflections on danger, growth, and destiny. This is the voice of a fighter who refuses to be remembered for just one moment. This is New Mansa time.
Joaquin Buckley's Statements About Other Fighters
“Put a date on it. I got a date for you. March 7. Let's make it happen in Vegas.”
– via Instagram directly challenging former champion Belal Muhammad for a high stakes welterweight showdown.
“I don’t know if this is just tradition now, a lot of people say that this is a tradition down in Ecuador and this is what they do... it looks like you are having too much fun out there twerking, twirling, throwing your hips like. Michael Morales. Go ahead and wear them dresses at the press conference. Go ahead and wear them dresses at the weigh—ins. You a street walker. We knew this for a while now.”
– via social media and recent interviews roasting Michael Morales after videos of the Ecuadorian contender participating in a New Year's Eve tradition went viral
“It’s learned. Somebody told him to say it like that. I would have felt better if he would have said the N—word. Calling me a boy is crazy because I’m a grown man”
– via an exclusive interview with Sport Shredinger responding to a racially charged comment made by Shavkat Rakhmonov during their recent war of words.
“Whoever wins that fight between Islam vs. Kamaru can get out of here, because if Usman wins, he’s one and done, because he said he’s moving to get that title against Khamzat for the rematch. If Islam wins, he said he’s gonna hold it down for a long time, but i don’t believe that. If Islam gets the fight that he wants, that means not only did you submit your name at lightweight over your brother Khabib, but then you also got the double champ status, and then you also beat a GOAT in Usman. So you just pulled the Jon Jones. What else is there to do? What else can he do? You’d be foolish to keep fighting, because to me, Islam is not a natural 170 [pound] fighter, and that will get exposed if he fights a person like myself, Ian Garry, or Michael Morales.”
– via Submission Radio, arguing that Islam Makhachev should retire if he defeats Kamaru Usman, as he would have achieved "double champ" status and beaten a legend.
“[Khabib] used to ground and pound the mess out of you i can respect that type of use of your grappling, but if you're only willing to hold somebody down because you do not want to fight on the feet, because you're de'd scared that they might knock you out, i'm not a fan of that”
– via Submission Radio, criticizing the latter for using grappling as a safety net to avoid striking exchanges rather than as a means to inflict damage.
“Man, all that striking you're doing there, just to shoot in the first five seconds of the fight, is crazy work. So, khamzat, look, this is what i'm going to do for you. If you're able to stay on your feet for one round, just on your feet and not use wrestling, i'll give you $50,000. Oh, you heard me right, $50,000. Nassourdine, if you're able to match, that means that's $100,000. So khamzat, take that money or still show that you're a punk by using that wrestling in the first five seconds.”
– via Xchallenging Khamzat Chimaev to stay on his feet for one round without using wrestling, offering him $50,000 to do so, and urging Nassourdine Imavov to match the offer.
“Man, all that striking you're doing there, just to shoot in the first five seconds of the fight, is crazy work. So, khamzat, look, this is what i'm going to do for you. If you're able to stay on your feet for one round, just on your feet and not use wrestling, i'll give you $50,000. Oh, you heard me right, $50,000. Nassourdine, if you're able to match, that means that's $100,000. So khamzat, take that money or still show that you're a punk by using that wrestling in the first five seconds.”
– via Xchallenging Khamzat Chimaev to stay on his feet for one round without using wrestling, offering him $50,000 to do so, and urging Nassourdine Imavov to match the offer.
“Shavkat, i heard you chirping. Talking about 'black boy'. Imma show you where the f**k we come from. I am gonna f**k you up... Shavkat, if you don't sign, somebody else gonna d*e. I'm burying everybody in the UFC.via Instagram, going off on Shavkat Rakhmonov, referencing an alleged derogatory comment ("black boy"), and issuing a fiery challenge, threatening to "f**k up" Rakhmonov and "bury everybody" in the UFC if the fight isn't signed.”
Read all statements about Shavkat Rakhmonov
“Out of all those people, the last person I would expect to say no was Francis Ngannou. That is crazy. At the end of the day, this sport is all about getting money. We all prize fighters. When Francis Ngannou said, 'I don't want to get disrespected,' the best way to make somebody respect you is when you put your fist on their chin and knock them out, and you get money for it.I'm talking about how much money you make and get when you ain't worrying about the money no more. So he must be making some good bread because I can't see it. I can't understand it. Because if you boxers and you fighters are really tired of Jake Paul f*cking up boxing, then get his a** somebody”
– via shared his confusion and questioned Ngannou's decision
“It was my manager calling me back, he sound all distressed... he was like. 'Buckley, I really don't like this fight for us... He is a good fighter, not a really big name... I said, 'Is it Alex Pereira?' He said, 'How the f**k you know that?'... I said, 'I'm a dog, so regardless of what we do, I've got to eat.' He said, 'f**k it, let's run it.So I called Brian back and said, 'Man, it's a go.' He said, 'I got some good news and I've got some bad news... the good news is that you look good for the promotion... because nobody else wanted to fight this man, but the bad news is he won't be able to take this fight because his coaches or himself said he wouldn't be ready in time'... To be honest with you, I was planning on knocking that man out, too.”
– recalling almost taking a short notice fight with Alex Pereira in 2022.