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Joaquin Buckley is not impressed with Kevin Holland's heroics outside the octagon. 'New Mansa' recently dismissed Holland's savior acts as "Batman bulls***" that keeps people from knowing who 'Trailblazer' truly is.
When asked about the 'Trailblazer', Buckley said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw:
"Man Kevin Holland. And not just because he beat me. He’s one of the fakest people in the game. That guy is a fake a** bitch. He’s got everyone looking the other way with all this Batman bullsh*t. Running around pretending he’s something else, but I know who he really is."
Joaquin Buckley faced Holland on his UFC debut back in August 2020 where he suffered a third-round TKO loss. Having recorded four UFC victories against a single loss since, 'New Mansa' isn't eyeing a rematch against Holland as of now.
While 'Trailblazer' recently returned to 170 lbs, Buckley claims to be focused on middleweight gold. The 28-year-old further said:
"I’m not too worried about a rematch right now. He’s down at 170lbs trying to figure his shit out. I’m focused on getting to that middleweight belt. That’s why I’m here, that’s why I do this. But I could do welterweight in the future. I don’t actually have to cut that much weight to get to 185lb. So once I’ve got my belt here we can call Kamaru Usman since he wants to be a champ champ. But that’s way in the future for now."
Watch Holland's KO of Buckley below:
"Only one who gave the champ some trouble" - Joaquin Buckley wants Kelvin Gastelum as a stepping stone towards title shot
Currently scheduled to fight Albert Duraev on June 18, Joaquin Buckley has also issued a callout to former interim middleweight title contender Kelvin Gastelum.
Referring to Gastelum's iconic interim title clash against Israel Adesanya, Buckley claims the 30-year-old is the only fighter to have given Adesanya "some trouble".
'New Mansa' believes a win over Gastelum could propel him towards his ultimate goal of making a UFC gold bid. Buckley told Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw:
"I’ve got a callout in mind. A shorter guy and the only one who gave the champ some trouble. He’s tough, but I know I’d beat him. I’m focused on winning a world title and that name is gonna help me on my way to getting where I need to go. I’ve got business to take care of but after that, if he’s down for it, then let’s go."
After having his UFC debut foiled by Kevin Holland, Buckley scored a spinning heel kick KO against Impa Kasanganay, which is arguably his career highlight till now.
Watch the highlight-reel KO below:
Despite the immense popularity Joaquin Buckley received from the KO, 'New Mansa' believes it's slowly fading from people's memories. The UFC middleweight is looking to add another highlight to his resume in his next outing against Duraev:
"I always have to highlight on these guys. The buzz on that viral KO is getting a little dry. Now it’s time for me to pull out something else. That’s what it’s all about. Keep my name up in lights. Make sure people are talking about me so I can get the big fights, get that money, and then get that world title."
