Joaquin Buckley expects Islam Makhachev to become UFC welterweight champion, but if he sticks around the division, he predicts the former lightweight king is going to have a lot of tough tasks ahead of him.
Buckley is set to face former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Atlanta this Saturday. “New Mansa” believes a win makes him the top contender in the division, but understands Makhachev is getting the next title shot against new champ Jack Della Maddalena.
“In my personal opinion, this win is going to catapult me into the position of being in this No. 1 contender spot,” Buckley said at Wednesday’s media day. “But obviously, this is a business. Islam has done a lot in the lightweight division. He has a massive name, and it only makes sense for the UFC to give him that opportunity to fight for the belt.
“But with all that being said, I’m going to let my performance speak for itself because a lot of things happen within this fight business that, yet again, we cannot predict. … If that such thing does happen, ‘Buck’ going to be ready for this opportunity when they come calling.”
Buckley is picking Makhachev to defeat Della Maddalena, and if Buckley is able to defeat Usman on Saturday, he would love the opportunity to face the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world inside the octagon.
However, Buckley doesn’t see staying power for Makhachev—not just at welterweight, but in the UFC if he becomes a two-division titleholder.
“I would love it, but I don’t think Islam would,” Buckley explained. “I truly believe if Islam is able to win that 170 (pound) title, he’s going to move. He’s done everything that he needed to do. What’s he going to do, stick around and potentially lose that winning streak? I don’t think so.
“I think he’s really just trying to cement his name—this is really just kind of a legacy pass — and then once he wins that welterweight belt, my man going to retire at the end of the day.”
Buckley is 6-0 in the UFC since moving to the welterweight division, and went 4-0 in 2024, including stoppage wins over Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Colby Covington. While Buckley understands how good he is, and how well he’s been performing, should Makhachev elect to stick around at 170, Buckley is confident Makhachev will regret it.
“Islam ain’t no big threat to the welterweight division,” Buckley said. “This is the deepest weight class that you can get into right now, not only guys like myself, but guys like Ian Garry, Shavkat, from Sean Brady. Islam’s definitely going to have to prove to the world that he’s ready for this division, period.”
