logo
Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Joaquin Buckley after UFC on ESPN 69 loss?

Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Joaquin Buckley after UFC on ESPN 69 loss?

USA Today11 hours ago

Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Joaquin Buckley after UFC on ESPN 69 loss?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Who's next for Joaquin Buckley after Kamaru Usman loss?
MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin Buckley's impressive run since dropping to welterweight took its first hit at UFC on ESPN 69 courtesy of Kamaru Usman.
Buckley (22-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) saw his six-fight winning streak at 170 pounds come to a halt in Saturday's headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta with a unanimous decision defeat to Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC). A flaw in his game was exposed in the process, but he never gave up until the bitter end.
Now that he's slid back in the queue of a rapidly evolving division, Buckley has a number of potential next opponents that could range from style-friendly to a serious test.
Whom should Buckley face next? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 69.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UFC Baku: Jamahal Hill Vs. Khalil Rountree Full Fight Card
UFC Baku: Jamahal Hill Vs. Khalil Rountree Full Fight Card

Forbes

time43 minutes ago

  • Forbes

UFC Baku: Jamahal Hill Vs. Khalil Rountree Full Fight Card

The UFC breaks new ground this week when it holds its first fight card in Baku, Azerbaijan. That event, UFC Baku, takes place on Saturday, June 21 at Baku Crystal Palace and features a main event between former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill and recent UFC 205-pound title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. UFC Baku airs on ABC with an early start time of 2 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at noon ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. - Light Heavyweight Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes - Lightweight Tofiq Musayev vs. Myktybek Orolbai - Lightweight Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev - Heavyweight Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta - Lightweight Muhammad Naimov vs. Bogdan Grad - Featherweight Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Azat Maksum - Flyweight Ismail Naurdiev vs. Park Jun-yong - Middleweight Melissa Mullins vs. Daria Zheleznyakova - Women's bantamweight Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Mohammed Usman - Heavyweight Seokhyeon Ko vs. Oban Elliott - Welterweight Irina Alekseeva vs. Klaudia Syguła- Women's bantamweight UFC Baku Main Event: Jamahal Hill Vs. Khalil Rountree Jamahal Hill (12-3-0-1) had a 5-0 record when he appeared on a Dana White Contender Series card in July 2019. He won that fight against Alexander Poppeck by TKO in the third round. The victory earned him a UFC contract. Hill made his official UFC debut in January 2020, winning a decision over Darko Stosic on the main card of an ESPN+ event at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. He then faced Klidson Abreu in May 2020. He initially won that bout by first-round TKO, but the result was later overturned to a no-contest because Hill tested positive for marijuana He followed that fight with a December 2020 TKO over former interim light heavyweight title challenger Ovince Saint Preux. Hill's unbeaten streak ended in his next trip to the Octagon, when Paul Craig ended their June 2021 fight in under two minutes by TKO. Hill bounced back from that loss by rattling off three straight 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning knockouts. That run earned him a shot at then-champion Glover Teixeira. Hill put on a striking clinic in that fight, battering Teixeira over five rounds to earn a one-sided decision win and the UFC 205-pound crown. That fight headlined UFC 283 in January 2023. Misfortune ended Hill's title reign. In July 2023, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a UFC fighter basketball game. He relinquished the title and underwent surgery to repair the injury. Hill returned at UFC 300 in a matchup against UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Pereira ended that fight via knockout at the 3:14 mark of the first round. Hill returned to the Octagon at UFC 311 when he faced former champ Jiri Prochazka on the main card. Prochazka ended that bout via TKO at 3:01 of Round 3. Hill, the No. 4 ranked UFC light heavyweight, has seven wins by knockout and five decision victories. His three losses have come via knockout. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6-0-1) joined the UFC in July 2016 when a loss to Andrew Sanchez in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter dropped him to 4-1 as a pro. A submission loss to Tyson Pedro followed Rountree's defeat to Sanchez. However, Rountree went 3-0-0-1 after that setback, scoring three knockout wins in his victories. A knockout loss to Johnny Walker, who Rountree was favored to beat, ended his unbeaten streak. A decision victory over Eryk Anders in April 2019 got Rountree back in the win column, but a TKO loss to Ion Cutelaba and a decision setback against Marcin Prachnio followed. In September 2021, the UFC matchmakers booked Rountree against Modestas Bukauskas. He won that scrap via TKO. That win was the first of five consecutive victories for Rountree. Rountree was scheduled to face former UFC light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill in June, but a self-reported drug test failure knocked him from that card. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Rountree 4.5 months for that drug test failure. When Rountree returned to action it was at UFC 307 in the main event of the pay-per-view card opposite then-UFC 205-pound champion Alex Pereira. Pereira battered Rountree before ending the fight via TKO in the fourth round. Rountree has nine knockout wins and four decision victories. His losses have come by knockout (three), submission (one) and decision (two). He is the No. 7 ranked competitor in the UFC's 205-pound weight class. We will have more on the UFC Baku fight card and the Hill vs. Rountree fight as fight night nears, including betting odds, picks, predictions and more. As well as full fight card results, reactions and highlights on fight night.

Mansur Abdul-Malik treating 'confusing' UFC on ESPN 69 ending vs. Cody Brundage as TKO
Mansur Abdul-Malik treating 'confusing' UFC on ESPN 69 ending vs. Cody Brundage as TKO

USA Today

time8 hours ago

  • USA Today

Mansur Abdul-Malik treating 'confusing' UFC on ESPN 69 ending vs. Cody Brundage as TKO

Mansur Abdul-Malik treating 'confusing' UFC on ESPN 69 ending vs. Cody Brundage as TKO Show Caption Hide Caption UFC on ESPN 69: Mansur Abdul-Malik post-fight interview UFC on ESPN 69 winner Mansur Abdul-Malik talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his technical decision victory over Cody Brundage in Atlanta. ATLANTA – Mansur Abdul-Malik thought he was getting his hand raised after a TKO finish of Cody Brundage, but was confused when the official result was announced. After two rounds of relatively routine action, Abdul-Malik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Brundage (11-7 MMA, 5-6) flipped a switch and came out swinging furiously to start the final round. Abdul-Malik got the better of the heated exchanges, and put together a finishing sequence after leaping in with a knee to score what everyone believed initially was a TKO. However, after review, the result was changed to a technical decision because of an accidental clash of heads when Abdul-Malik leaped into Brundage with the knee. "I need to rewatch the fight, but most importantly, it wasn't intentional," Abdul-Malik told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. "Whatever happened, happened. The ending was the ending, and whatever logistics played out with it, that's the way it was. But I'm sure I did my job. It wasn't the most clean job in my eyes, but this is the game. "I came out with my hand raised, I showed something that I haven't showed before in that third round. Don't talk to me about cardio. Don't talk to me about wrestling. Don't talk to me about striking. Don't talk to me about grittyness or being young or inexpereinced. I showed something that I wasn't able to show before. I'm grateful. It is what it is." Since Brundage was unable to continue after the accidental foul, and the fight reached the third round, the rules state that the fight goes to the scorecards, including the judges determining who won the 36 seconds of fighting in the last round. "I thought it was a finish," Abdul-Malik said. "It looked like a finish. It felt like a finish. That wasn't an intentional headbutt. I didn't even know our heads clashed. Very, very confusing ending. I need to watch the fight back myself. It is what it is. In my eyes, it was a finish. I was on top throwing strikes, he was covered up." With his third UFC win in the books, Abdul-Malik hopes to get a few more fights in this calendar year – three if possible.

How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley Live Online Without Cable for Free
How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley Live Online Without Cable for Free

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley Live Online Without Cable for Free

Variety and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Ultimate Fighting Championship comes back home to 'The ATL' for UFC Fight Night, with Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman (20-4-0) vs. Joaquin 'New Mansa' Buckley (21-6-0) as the main card's marquee welterweight matchup. There's going to be plenty of fireworks with the fight card and there may be some special surprises, as well. Advertisement More from Variety On Saturday, June 14, UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley takes place live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Prelims began at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. If you want to watch UFC Fight Night, the MMA event livestreams online on ESPN+. $11.99/month Livestream UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley on ESPN+ To livestream UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley online, you can log in with your ESPN+ subscription. Don't have a subscription? Right now, you can sign up for just $4.99/month for three months (a nearly 60% savings) to get instant access to watch the event live online from home. Advertisement After the three months is finished, your subscription price renews at $11.99/month. However, if you don't want to go monthly, then you can go with an annual ESPN+ subscription for $119.99/year. This is about a 15% savings from the month-to-month price and the best deal to watch UFC Fight Night (as well as, ESPN+ live sports, originals, programming, documentaries, events and much more) online. $119.99/year Get: ESPN+ ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Another option: Starting at $16.99/month, you can go with a subscription to the Disney Trio — which includes ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ for one price. $16.99/month Advertisement Get: Disney Trio While the prelims and main card are livestreaming on ESPN+, the main card airs on cable network ESPN on TV. This means it's available on DirecTV and Fubo — both of which offer free trials. Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV also carry ESPN. Livestream UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley on ESPN+. Sign up now and get instant access to stream tonight's event online from your phone, computer, tablet or TV (via the ESPN+ app). Check out the full UFC Fight Night fight card below: $11.99/month Livestream UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley on ESPN+ Main Card, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT — ESPN+, ESPN Welterweight: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley — Main Event Women's Flyweight: Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick — Co-Main Event Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy Prelims, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT — ESPN+ Advertisement Light Heavyweight: Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Kris Moutinho Flyweight: Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa Bantamweight: Ricky Simón vs. Cameron Smotherman Welterweight: Philip Rowe vs. Ange Loosa Women's Flyweight: Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Vanessa Demopoulos Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store