Buckley Reveals UFC Matchmaking Frustrations After Retirement

Joaquin Buckley has opened up about his decision to retire from mixed martial arts, pointing to frustrations with UFC matchmaking as a driving force.

The welterweight announced his intention to walk away after one more fight following a knockout loss to Mike Malott at UFC Edmonton last month. In an interview with Parry Punch, Buckley said being passed over for a title shot after stringing together six straight wins left him disillusioned with the sport.

Buckley Felt Overlooked For Title Shot After Six-Fight Streak

Buckley moved down to 170 pounds in May 2023 and immediately found success, stopping both Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson during a run that pushed him into the top five. When Shavkat Rakhmonov pulled out of a title fight against Belal Muhammad earlier this year, Jack Della Maddalena got the short-notice call instead. Buckley believes that opportunity should have gone to him. As MMA Mania reported, he told the podcast he entered the sport with one goal. "I did this to be a champion because that's what they said. If you want to get paid, if you want to eat what you kill, you gotta win that belt," he said. "And I had one opportunity. I had one opportunity that they really could have gave it to me, and they didn't. And they played me."

After missing out on the title shot, Buckley dropped fights to Kamaru Usman, Sean Brady, and Malott. At 32 years old with 30 professional bouts on his record, Buckley said he cannot move past the disappointment of being skipped over. He dismissed those encouraging him to make another run at the belt, saying supporters need to believe in something else.

Buckley has not named an opponent or date for his final appearance inside the octagon.

Photo: Inaquout / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Retiring Joaquin Buckley reveals frustrations with UFC matchmaking: ‘They played me’ | MMA Mania