Joaquin Buckley is vying for a shot at the interim welterweight title against Shavkat Rakhmonov, following champion Belal Muhammad‘s withdrawal due to injury, and has dismissed Ian Machado Garry’s callout for the same opportunity.
Joaquin Buckley is eyeing the interim title. Yep, he wants his shot.
Thursday brought unexpected news: welterweight champ Belal Muhammad’s out of UFC 310. An injury, and it’s a bad one. The UFC’s scrambling for a replacement against Shavkat Rakhmonov. Maybe an interim title fight? Ian Machado Garry jumped in, eager to seize the moment.
But hold up, says Buckley. Not so fast.
Later that day, Buckley fired back with a video. He dismissed Garry’s challenge, claiming he’s the rightful contender. “I’m here to take the throne,” he declared, pounding away at a heavy bag.
“Hey look, I’m gonna let you finish,” Buckley began. “But I’ve got something to say.” He emphasized fans crave knockouts, not just fights. “Me versus Shavkat? That’s what people want. He’s got 18 finishes—10 subs, 8 KOs—and me? I’ve got 14 knockouts. Just KO’d my last two ranked guys. So what’s next for this dude?”
He ended with a bang: “UFC, make this fight happen! I’m taking the throne, no games. Boom!”
Ranked No. 9 in welterweight standings, Buckley’s on fire—a five-fight win streak since returning to 170 pounds. His latest? A knockout against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 307.
Garry sits at No. 7 after edging out Michael “Venom” Page at UFC 303 this summer. Close call but a win nonetheless.
Mark your calendars: UFC 310 hits Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 7. It’s not just about the welterweights; there’s also a flyweight title bout—Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura.