Joaquin
Buckley is looking to take big career steps in a short amount
of time.
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Buckley scored a Round 2 technical knockout win over Vicente
Luque in the co-main event at
UFC Atlantic City on Saturday, which put him on a three-fight
winning streak. Buckley then called for a quick turnaround to fight
at
UFC St. Louis which goes down at the Enterprise Arena in St.
Louis, Missouri, on May 11.
“I can’t wait to get to St. Louis man and do the same thing… That’s
the plan. We got to talk to the UFC and see what they’re talking
about, but yeah, I’m open to fighting in May,” said during
Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
UFC St. Louis is currently scheduled to be headlined by a
heavyweight tilt between Derrick
Lewis and Rodrigo
Nascimento. However, Buckley believes the UFC might promote him
to the main-event spot for the first five-rounder of his
career.
“They might change that. They will switch it up,” he said. “If I
fight in St. Louis, they’re going to have to switch it up and put
me as the main event. Five rounds.”
While Buckley sounded absolutely confident calling for his
main-event spot, he clarified that he has had no word from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship regarding the same. However, if
he is indeed able to fight in another packed arena in hardly over a
month’s time, “New Mansa” would rather be the center of attention
on fight night.
“You already know we don’t talk to the UFC, so that’s just a
feeling that I have,” Buckley said on “The
MMA Hour”.
“If I’m able to fight in St. Louis, I want to make it worth it. I
want to come back and put on a show at the highest level, which
would be a main event. Instead of being a part of the show, I will
be the show. You know, I’d be the reason why everybody is coming to
the event. So it’s a just feeling, but just my feelings, yeah.”
Like in his post-fight callout, Buckley refused to name any
potential opponents and instead asked Ariel Helwani to suggest one.
When Helwani suggested Gilbert Burn, Buckley loved the idea.
Buckley also noted that he is now 3-1 against fighters from
Kill Cliff FC, where “Durinho” trains.
“I actually love the idea of Gilbert
Burns,” said Buckley. “You know right now we’re 3-1 against the
team. The first guy that beat me from that team is Logan
Storley back at Bellator. He held me down for 15 rounds
[minutes]. And after that I knocked out Impa
Kasanganay, Andre
Fialho and now their boy Vicente. So you know, 3-1 with
them.”
Burns, meanwhile, is coming off a third-round knockout loss against
Jack
Della Maddalena at UFC
299 last month.