When Sean Strickland had a Jared Cannonier-inspired nickname for Joaquin Buckley
Sean Strickland foreshadowed Joaquin Buckley's move down to the UFC welterweight division. In August 2020, Buckley made his UFC debut in the middleweight division, where he established a 5-4 promotional record. Despite packing a massive punch, 'New Mansa' struggled at times as his opponents were often bigger than him, leading to a new home at 170 pounds.
Two years ago, Sean Strickland did an interview with The Schmo and discussed Buckley, who previously trained with him at Xtreme Couture. The former UFC middleweight champion referenced the Missouri native's size disadvantage at 185 pounds by giving him a nickname referencing Jared 'The Killa Gorilla' Cannonier:
"Buckley is a stand-up guy. I mean, again, he's tiny. He does have some, you know, he's a built man. I would say he's a good C-cup. He needs to go down to welterweight, he's this f*cking big (small). He's like a miniature Killa Gorilla. We can call him Curious George. He's this f*cking big. Bro, you gotta go down to 170, you're too f*cking little."
Joaquin Buckley ended up making his UFC welterweight debut in May 2023. Since then, the 30-year-old has won four consecutive fights, including two by KO/TKO. Following his latest win against Nursulton Ruziboev, 'New Mansa' is ranked as the number 11 fighter in the UFC 170-pound division.
What's next for Sean Strickland and Joaquin Buckley?
Joaquin Buckley stole the show in his homecoming co-main event win against Nursulton Ruziboev. With that said, the rising welterweight contender received slight backlash after surprisingly calling out Conor McGregor during his post-fight interview in the Octagon.
Buckley won't be fighting McGregor anytime soon, but he will likely receive a top-10 opponent next time out. Although he continued to be underrated, 'New Mansa' has the skills to potentially make a run in the UFC welterweight division.
As for Sean Strickland, he last fought at UFC 302 and dominated Paulo Costa for a split-decision win. Strickland will have to wait to see how the division plays out. Dricus du Plessis is expected to defend his title against Israel Adesanya while Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev battle for the number one contender spot.
Strickland seems hopeful his next fight will be for the UFC middleweight title. Unfortunately for him, the former world champion might have to secure another win unless a short-notice opportunity arises.