Joaquin Buckley would be happy to welcome Abdoul Abdouraguimov to the UFC but warns him of the callout.
Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) issued a callout to all welterweights, offering $25,000 to anyone who can knock him out. Ares FC double champion Abdouraguimov (16-1) responded to his challenge and even proposed a counter offer.
Buckley’s social media was swarmed by Abdouraguimov’s fans, and Buckley appreciates “The Lazy King” for his willingness to step up.
“All of France have been on here talking about, ‘Fight our boy Lazy King.’ I’m like, who the hell is this?” Buckley told MMA Junkie. “But hey, I don’t mind. If dude wants to get down with the get-down, I appreciate him because at the end of the day, I don’t want to be on the sidelines.
“I don’t want to be sitting on the bench. I’ve been trying to call out a lot of good, big names. They said they don’t want to see me. This kid said he wanted to see me. Let’s rock then. Let’s do it. At the end of the day, that’s how we get paid.”
Buckley was under the impression that Abdouraguimov is already a UFC fighter. Upon finding out that he’s yet to be signed, Buckley said he feels like he got catfished but is still willing to go to Paris to fight him if the UFC offers him the matchup.
“I’m mad to be honest. I’m pissed now,” Buckley said. “I thought this fool was in the UFC. I straight got tricked, but if the UFC set it up, I don’t care. Let this be his meal ticket, but he definitely got the right one. So we’re going to have some fun.”
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Abdouraguimov continued his campaign to make his UFC debut at the Paris event on Sept. 2. Abdouraguimov has one loss in his career and is on a five-fight winning streak.
In his return to welterweight, Buckley knocked out Andre Fialho with a head kick this past May. Twelve of his 16 professional wins have come by knockout, and Buckley thinks Abdouraguimov is in for a rude awakening if he underestimates him.
“Everybody telling me he’s a dog and all that, but at the end of the day, you’re f*cking with somebody who’s been in here for a minute now,” Buckley said. “I’m not getting my feet wet. I’m used to it. I’m experienced under the UFC lights. So it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, what your belts looking like, what your so-called world titles are. Bro, you’re running into the right one. I’ll tell you that.”
Buckley was trying to step in on short notice and face Jack Della Maddalena this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 49, but Della Maddalena ended up facing newcomer Bassil Hafez instead. Buckley also called out Ian Machado Garry, who’s currently booked to face Geoff Neal at UFC 292.
“New Mansa” hasn’t been able to land the fights he’s called for but hopes his efforts eventually pay off.
“A little frustrating,” Buckley said of trying to get a fight. “So, hopefully with all the promoting I’ve been doing on Instagram and stuff like that, my other social media sites, the UFC can see that people are willing and wanting to see me fight.”