Joaquin Buckley has spent 11 months away from the Octagon, reflecting, growing, and preparing for what he views as a statement moment, and he is arriving at UFC 328 with the conviction that Saturday night’s bout against Sean Brady marks the beginning of a world title run.
Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of the Newark card, Buckley addressed the lengthy absence with characteristic positivity, framing everything that happened in the gap, including the loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta last June, as part of a larger process.
“Everything a blessing in disguise, brother. Everything’s a blessing in disguise. I like how you put that. It’s been busy. I’ve been keeping myself busy when it comes to just the small things, man. I had some losses in my career. Even though I took an L, man, I went to RAF and did that as well, man, going up against Pat Downey, just being able to do some random stuff, man. But things that I think really, kind of, applied great experience, that I could take with me into the octagon. So there’s been a lot of great things that happened in this past 10, 11 months now.”
Buckley’s 2024 campaign was one of the year’s best stories in MMA, culminating in back-to-back finishes of Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington. The Usman loss interrupted that momentum, but did not derail his belief in where he is headed.
He described the Brady matchup as ideal for both fighters at this stage of their respective trajectories, with both men looking to reassert themselves in a loaded welterweight division after suffering setbacks.
“To be honest with you, man, this is going to be one of those good type of fights that I’ll get everything just flowing. But Sean Brady, I know that he’s not going to be no scrub. I know that he’s not going to be no punk. He’s going to go out there and make it a fight, and he’s going to try to look for his takedowns and look for his clinch opportunities, and that’s what we’re looking for. We want to get close. No rush, no picking of the fighters or my own willing to fight somebody different. I think Sean Brady and myself is a match made in heaven. That’s all I’m going to say: It’s a match made in heaven. After this fight, he definitely got to unblock me on social media, man. He blocked me. He still got me blocked. But I respect him because at the end of the day, I can’t do what I want to do without an opponent, and obviously, he signed that contract, so I have nothing but respect for that man once we step in there.”
Buckley was equally clear about what he believes Saturday night ultimately represents, both for his career and for the fans watching.
“I feel like the headline is going to be a reintroduction of Joaquin Buckley for the UFC and Paramount. I’m being reintroduced to a new fan base since being out for 11 months, and I truly believe that this is the time that I really get to prove to the world who I am and what I’m capable of doing, and truthfully, why I will be the next world champion in the welterweight division. So it’s a reintroduction to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC.”
UFC 328 takes place Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.