Joaquin Buckley reacts to passing away of Art Jimmerson
Joaquin Buckley recently reacted to the news of the passing of Art Jimmerson. The UFC pioneer tragically passed away at the age of 60 on Wednesday.
Jimmerson, a seasoned professional boxer across three divisions, made his mark as boxing's representative at the UFC 1 event on Nov. 12, 1993. Widely known as 'One Glove', Jimmerson famously entered the cage wearing only a single glove, confident in his ability to jab with one hand while reserving his powerful right hand for knockout blows.
The professional boxer's sole appearance in the octagon is etched in history, particularly his bout against the legendary Royce Gracie. Gracie swiftly brought down 'One Glove' before he could unleash a punch, leading to Jimmerson tapping out at 2:18, which marked the first submission in UFC history.
The UFC recently honored Jimmerson's passing on social media.
'New Mansa' also expressed his condolences in the comments section of the UFC's Instagram post:
"Man, true pioneer of the sport #STLFighter."
Check out Joaquin Buckley's comment below:
Buckley is set to face Nursulton Ruziboev in a welterweight matchup, serving as the co-main event at UFC St. Louis. The Fight Night event is scheduled to take place this weekend at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
After his win against Vicente Luque on March 30 at UFC Atlantic City, 'New Mansa' consistently pushed to headline the card in his hometown, even vocalizing his support for it during the pre-fight press conference of UFC 300.
Buckley has secured three consecutive wins in the UFC since returning to the 170-pound division, notching notable knockouts against Luque and Andre Fialho, as well as earning a unanimous decision victory over Alex Morono.
Joaquin Buckley sets sights on creating a "viral moment" in homecoming bout at UFC St. Louis
The upcoming UFC St. Louis event will mark nearly eight years since Joaquin Buckley last fought in his hometown of St. Louis.
During his media day interview ahead of his fight (via keviniole.com), 'New Mansa' conveyed appreciation to UFC CEO Dana White for acknowledging his desire to compete in his hometown. He also recognized the potential boost in event attendance and pledged to deliver a memorable performance for the fans:
"Right now having the energy of my hometown, having my family out watching me, and it’s been years since they watched me live last time I fought in St. Louis for Bellator back in the day. I feel like now that I get the opportunity to fight in my city, I’ve got to turn up. I’ve got to do the most – what people expect, right? They want that viral moment, and I feel like we’re gonna get that."