Joaquin Buckley has been putting in the work, and this Saturday at UFC Atlanta, he steps into the spotlight against Kamaru Usman in a high-stakes main event. With a win, Buckley could find himself right in the title mix but he’s not buying into the hype around Islam Makhachev’s move to 170.
The UFC welterweight division is on fire right now. Jack Della Maddalena just snatched the belt from Belal Muhammad, and names like Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, and Ian Garry are circling. But it’s Makhachev’s jump to welterweight that’s been dominating headlines. The pound-for-pound king vacated his lightweight title and now eyes a super fight with Maddalena. The narrative around Makhachev is growing fast, but Buckley’s not impressed.
“Islam ain’t no big threat to the welterweight division,” Buckley said during UFC Atlanta media day. “This is the deepest weight class out there. Guys like Shavkat, Garry, Brady, this division is stacked. Islam’s got a lot to prove.”
Buckley didn’t hold back. While others might treat Makhachev’s move like the arrival of a future two-division champ, Buckley sees it differently. He believes Makhachev is chasing a legacy moment, one big win at 170, then a quiet exit.
“If Islam wins the title, he’s gone,” Buckley said. “He’s done what he set out to do. He wants that legacy pass. He gets the belt, he retires. That’s how I see it playing out.”
Buckley knows the game. He’s made the move to welterweight and turned it into a six-fight win streak, including big names like Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson. He’s not chasing headlines, he’s stacking real results.
While he’s open to a fight with Makhachev, he doesn’t expect it to happen. Buckley believes Makhachev wants the belt and nothing more. No long reign, no defenses—just a moment in history, then done.
The division’s not waiting. Usman, Buckley, Rakhmonov—they’re here now. And this Saturday, Buckley gets the kind of platform that can shift the conversation fast. Makhachev might be stepping in, but Buckley’s already built his name in this weight class—and he’s not slowing down.
