An unexpected war of words breaks out between UFC figures following the Atlanta card, and Joaquin Buckley isn’t holding back.
After UFC Atlanta, Israel Adesanya openly admitted on a reaction video that he “hates” Joaquin Buckley. As he watched Buckley’s fight against Kamaru Usman on June 15, Adesanya couldn’t conceal his disdain:
Buckley, not one to stay silent, answered swiftly on social media the next day. He deflected the ire, directing it instead toward “the farmer who took your belt,” referencing Dricus du Plessis:
Joaquin Buckley Response
Buckley’s response is a twofold clapback: first, he dismisses Adesanya’s anger as misdirected, and second, he suggests Adesanya should focus his hostility on those who’ve beaten him more recently, like du Plessis, who dethroned Adesanya at UFC 305.
Adding to the tension, Buckley even mused on the possibility of moving up a weight class to face off with Adesanya head-to-head.
This exchange offers deeper insight into evolving tensions within the UFC’s middleweight and welterweight spheres. Adesanya has carried an air of calculated composure throughout his career, but his admission of personal “hate” signals genuine irritation with Buckley’s outspoken personality, his exuberant trash talk and unapologetic confidence.
Buckley embodies a different energy, his raw self-assuredness and vocal bravado have made him both an engaging figure and, evidently, an annoyance to some peers. Despite suffering a unanimous decision loss to Usman, Buckley’s stature within the UFC is still growing; he’s no longer the underdog fans once cheered for.
Will Buckley actually move to middleweight? It’s unclear. But the trash talk signals he’s willing to inject his voice into Adesanya’s world, potentially setting the stage for a future showdown. And if Adesanya responds with more open hostility, what could begin as social media chatter might escalate into a headline matchup years down the line.
