LAS VEGAS – Joaquin Buckley knows a thing or two about bouncing back strong.
After scoring two straight “Performance of the Night” knockouts, including arguably the most viral finish in UFC history, Buckley (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was upset by Alessio Di Chirico in his most recent outing, which put a momentary halt to his momentum.
But it wasn’t too long ago when Buckley had dropped his UFC debut on short notice to Kevin Holland and proceeded to rebound in emphatic fashion with a highlight-reel spinning back kick.
He’ll look to remind everyone of his skills when he squares off with Antonio Arroyo (9-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 192 on Saturday.
“There’s nothing different,” Buckley said at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I came off a loss before when I put out the most viral knockout in UFC history, so it’s nothing different. Losses are a part of the game, but I plan on going out there and just showing everybody a complete fighter Joaquin Buckley. Everybody’s going to see I’m championship-worthy after this fight.
“That kick only happened to get my name out there. Period. I don’t have to live up to that kick. I ain’t got to do nothing. The kick is just something in a moment in time. I’m greater than that kick. That kick is not going to be the definition of me, and everybody is going to find out eventually what I’m talking about once I beat Antonio, and I beat the next guy because I plan on fighting right after this before the end of the year.”
UFC Fight Night 192 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Check out Joaquin Buckley’s full pre-fight news conference in the video above.
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Joaquin Buckley aims to show he’s a ‘championship-worthy’ fighter at UFC Fight Night 192
