Joaquin Buckley feels Daniel Cormier misconstrued his 'Yo Mama' joke on purpose but says he holds no grudge: "Ain’t no beef on my end"
Joaquin Buckley is hopeful for a face-to-face encounter with Daniel Cormier at UFC 307, where they can address their past disagreements.
The welterweight contender previously engaged in a heated exchange with Cormier on social media after Buckley called out Conor McGregor following a victory earlier this year. Cormier criticized Buckley's decision and made derogatory remarks about his mother, leading to a tense back-and-forth.
Despite the past animosity, Buckley remains open to a conversation with Cormier.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Buckley said:
“I’m the type [of] person, I’m a fan of Daniel Cormier and all the things that he’s done in his MMA career. If you’re talking about from Strikeforce to coming into the UFC and dominating and end up winning two straps in the UFC, because of how difficult that is and holding them simultaneously at one time, I’ve got to respect it."
Buckley believes that Cormier could have offered him guidance and support rather than criticizing his actions. He also expressed disappointment with Cormier's negative comments, which he felt had a significant impact on his public perception.
While Buckley is eager to address the past, he insists that he holds no grudge against Cormier:
“Ain’t no beef on my end, I like to [break] balls, too. My thing is, just like at the end of the day, we’re all just having fun, we’re all just talking stuff. But we can really figure this stuff out if there’s an issue or a misunderstanding.”
Joaquin Buckley to lock horns with Stephen Thompson at UFC 307
Joaquin Buckley will face off against former two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 307. Buckley, who has won four straight fights since returning to the 170-pound division, has quickly established himself as a promising prospect in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Thompson, ranked ninth in the welterweight division, is looking to bounce back from a loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296.
The fight, which was officially announced by UFC CEO Dana White on social media, will take place on October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The main event of UFC 307 will feature a light heavyweight title bout between champion Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree. In the co-main event, women's bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington will defend her title against former champion Julianna Pena.