Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Joaquin Buckley after UFC Edmonton loss?

Joaquin Buckley's career is in a rough way after another loss in the UFC Fight Night 291 main event.

Buckley (22-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is another example of how quickly things can shift in MMA. Less than two years ago, he was coming off a main event victory over Colby Covington and riding a six-fight winning streak after dropping down to welterweight.

Fast-forward to now, and Buckley is now on a three-fight losing skid after being brutally knocked out by Mike Malott (15-2-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the second round of Saturday's headliner at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

It's a tough turn for Buckley. His previous defeats in this skid were decisions vs. Sean Brady and Kamaru Usman, but against Malott he was stopped for the first time at 170 pounds. This all comes after he finally settled down at a new camp with Fortis MMA in Dallas.

The result will surely be a shock to the system of Buckley in more ways than one. At 32, he can still swing some future success in his favor. However, his ceiling currently feels more established than ever.

Buckley's style can still provide for many fun fights in this division, but he's now in a position where he may have to take a name on the lower end or outside the rankings. There are plenty of surging fighters who would be keen to pounce on a showdown with him, but there's still potential for bigger-name foes, as well.

A hypothetical pairing that stands out would be Buckley against the loser of the UFC 334 fight between Uros Medic (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Kevin Holland (29-15 MMA, 16-12 UFC), which takes place Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Either matchup would be suitable and logical for everyone involved, and the timeline should line up for Buckley after he rests from a heavy knockout.