Many consider Jon Jones as the GOAT of MMA. However, others consider Georges St-Pierre, a.k.a GSP, as the GOAT, citing his non-existent doping violation. Rising welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley recently pondered a hypothetical scenario where he would knock out GSP, which caught a stray from UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson.
Swanson has not won or challenged for a UFC title, but the UFC inducted him and Doo Hoo Choi into the Fight Wing of the Hall of Fame in 2022. When Buckley suggested he would knockout GSP if both were 30, Swanson tweeted suggesting otherwise. In the back-and-forth exchange, Buckley stood by what he tweeted and trolled Cub Swanson, eliciting a strong reaction from the Hall of Famer.
I was being honest when I said better Men have tried. You’re sipping too much of your own Kool-Aid. Ive been here, you just got here. Have some MF Respect lil boy
Cub Swanson via X
Buckley has become controversial since he moved down to welterweight, where he is undefeated in the UFC. After his latest victory against Nursulton Ruziboev, Buckley called out Conor McGregor, trolling the Irishman’s patriarchial lineage.
I was being honest when I said better Men have tried. You’re sipping too much of your own Kool-Aid. Ive been here, you just got here. Have some MF Respect lil boy
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) May 25, 2024
In the aftermath of the callout, Buckley received criticism from Daniel Cormier, Michael Bisping, and Chael Sonnen. Buckley turned against the three and received backlash from the MMA community. Even the calm and composed Cormier threatened Buckley.
Joaquin Buckley targets fight with another welterweight legend
Joaquin Buckley had known he would’ve never gotten the Conor McGregor fight despite his cringy callout at UFC St. Louis. However, in the post-fight press conference of the fight night, he revealed Gilbert Burns was his realistic opponent.
Joaquin Buckley targets fight with Kamaru Usman (Image via: IMAGO)Burns agreed to the suggestion, citing his two-fight losing streak won’t give him leverage to fight someone higher in the rankings. In a recent Q&A session on X, Buckley answered a question about who he would prefer between Kamaru Usman and Burns. The 11th-ranked welterweight picked Usman, criticizing Burns’ fight against Usman.
Ya can say what ya want but me vs @USMAN84kg would go crazy and he not booked 😏💯🙅🏿♂️
— Joaquin New Mansa Buckley (@Newmansa94) May 23, 2024
Burns had lost to Usman via third-round TKO after an impressive first round where he rocked Usman. Nonetheless, Usman is now on a three-fight losing streak, albeit against tough opposition. He doesn’t have a fight booked, and Buckley finds the situation ideal to book a fight between him and the former pound-for-pound king.
After Colby Covington vs. Ian Garry didn’t materialize for UFC 303, allegedly due to Covington’s hesitance, Buckley was one of the names the UFC had in mind to fill the spot. However, he refused, as Garry had denied him in the recent past. Nonetheless, the UFC had recently booked Garry vs. Michael “Venom” Page for UFC 303. A new opponent for Buckley will likely get announced in the coming weeks.
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