Joaquin Buckley stepped into the spotlight at UFC Atlanta, headlining against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in what many believed could be a breakthrough moment.
Riding a six-fight win streak since returning to welterweight, Buckley was on the verge of title contention. But when the final horn sounded, the judges sided with Usman, handing Buckley a unanimous decision loss.
Despite the setback, Buckley refuses to let the result define him. He released a message after the fight that made his mindset crystal clear.
“Look, Atlanta was good to us, baby,” Buckley said in a video posted to Instagram the next day. “We sold out the arena. It was a major opportunity for me to go out there and show up and show out. I truly believe I did that. Especially in the fifth round, we had Usman backing up, trying to get those takedowns. We stuffed every one. But don’t get it twisted. Even though my hand was not raised, I still feel victorious.”
The fifth round was arguably Buckley’s best moment in the fight. He pressed forward and rocked Usman with heavy punches, forcing the former champ to rely on his wrestling to survive. The pressure was there, but Usman’s veteran control made the difference on the scorecards. Still, Buckley walked out of that cage with his head high.
“Shout out to Kamaru Usman. You are truly a legend, you are truly a GOAT. Thank you for the opportunity, for allowing me to step into the octagon with you and grace me with your presence.”
The loss snapped Buckley’s momentum in the crowded welterweight title picture, but the performance showed he belongs with the elite. More importantly, he recognizes the need for growth and isn’t shying away from what comes next.
“I didn’t get my hand raised, but that’s all good. This gives me time to take a break and really kind of work on some tools and work on some things we’ve got to work on.”
“What we dealt with through that fight, I really feel like we was up against the world. But I feel like we did a great job. It was a lot of pressure on us that night, but I truly feel privileged that I was out there and able to put some worries on that boy—had that boy sweating. It just shows what our real capabilities are. I truly, truly believe we’re going to take this time and get better and come back even stronger.”
In another post, Joaquin Buckley reflected deeper on the experience and acknowledged where things fell short.
“Hand wasn’t raised last night, but I am still victorious and will be one of the greats,” Buckley wrote.
“This trip has been beyond amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing that happened in my fight camp. Everything was perfectly planned I just didn’t execute like I know I could. We wanted to land early damage on Usman and get him moving back, but he did a good job neutralizing threats with takedowns.”
“But don’t get it twisted Usman was more concerned about holding me than hurting me in this fight. But he did what he felt was necessary to win, and so I can’t be mad at him. Congrats to Usman and his team, and to Francis Ngannou I saw your message.”
Joaquin Buckley may have lost on paper, but his mindset remains sharp and focused. The fire hasn’t dimmed, and the welterweight division knows he’s not done.
