Joaquin Buckley says his next walk to the UFC's octagon will be his last.
It's not a decision Buckley (21-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) made lightly; a conversation with his family has led him to decide to stop fighting after his next appearance. This unexpected career choice comes on the heels of a brutal knockout loss against Mike Malott in the main event of UFC Fight Night 291.
"That fight right there, it was devastating, and it really affected my family – the people that's closest to me," Buckley said in an Instagram video. "Listening to my grandmother speak and listening to her pray for me over the phone, and really being upset, and her telling me to retire and really kind of get away from fighting and get away from the sport because your mind is your biggest tool and your biggest asset, and you don't want to lose it."
Buckley, who joined the UFC in 2020, has been on both sides of incredible knockouts during his career. His jump spinning back kick to finish Impa Kasanganay is an all-time knockout highlight that still wows every time the video plays. After starting his UFC career in the middleweight division, Buckley moved down to welterweight.
In 2023-24, Buckley put together an impressive six-fight winning streak, including four stoppages. However, he has since hit a rough patch, dropping three straight to former champion Kamaru Usman, Sean Brady, and most recently, Malott.
Buckley says his grandmother convinced him to reflect on what's really important in life, and he'll heed her advice and walk away from the sport.
"It took a lot for me to listen and digest it, but I took some time, I slept on it, and I prayed about it, and I realized that my grandmother is right," Buckley said. "But, with that being said, I just told her to pray for me, and allow me to grace that octagon just one more time, and have the strength to step out there one more time, because I can't leave on a loss.
"Plus, with my babies and everything of that nature – that's the reason I fight so hard. I give 110 percent every single time. So, it's gonna be hard to just literally not be able to give my fullest potential, right? And with me already having 18 fights within the organization within six years, I'm already knowing I'm a workhorse, right? So I really gotta save myself from any more mileage or any more damage."
Buckley, 32, does not yet have his next opponent booked, but plans to go out with a win.
"This the last one," Buckley said. "But we're gonna make the last one the best one."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joaquin Buckley announces surprising plan for UFC retirement