Joaquin Buckley faces significant backlash after confidently boasting about himself before his UFC Atlanta fight. He saw his matchup against Kamaru Usman as a ticket to a title shot, but it backfired as the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ showed why he was once the pound-for-pound number one. After Buckley’s loss, UFC star Kevin Holland took a subtle shot at him, mocking his claim that Islam Makhachev was avoiding him.
At UFC Atlanta, Kamaru Usman clearly exposed Joaquin Buckley’s weaknesses on the ground. He dominated with superior grappling and maintained control for most of the fight. Buckley fought back late, but Usman had already done the damage. What Buckley hoped would be his breakthrough moment instead revealed the gap in his ground game against elite wrestlers like Usman.
After watching Buckley struggle, Kevin Holland took to X and threw shade his way. He pointed out Buckley’s poor grappling and suggested that Islam Makhachev would handle him easily. “Islam smokes ’em,” he said. Holland hinted that Buckley wouldn’t stand a chance against someone with Islam’s level of ground control, calling the potential matchup light work.
Islam smokes em
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) June 15, 2025
The comment stirred more criticism, as many now question whether Buckley was ready for the division’s top tier, which has a solid wrestling game.
What Did Jaoquin Buckley Say About Islam Makhachev?
Buckley recently expressed that Makhachev chooses his fights carefully, avoiding tougher challengers. Buckley believes the Dagestani moved up in weight because Jack Della Maddalena presents an easier matchup. He also thinks that if Buckley had beaten Belal Muhammad and become welterweight champion, Makhachev would have stayed at lightweight to avoid facing him, as that fight would have been a more difficult challenge for him.
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Indeed, if Buckley hadn’t made such bold claims before the fight, his loss might not have drawn so much attention. However, fans and fighters expected much more from him after calling out top names like Islam Makhachev and presenting himself as a future champion. Now that he fell short against Usman, backlash has poured in, with critics like Dillon Danis taking shots and using the loss to question Buckley’s credibility.
Also Read: UFC Atlanta: What Are The Walkout Songs Used By Kamaru Usman & Joaquin Buckley?
