Buckley gains leverage over Makhachev after stopping Maddalena early

Following his finish of Jack Della Maddalena, Joaquin Buckley now has talking points to use against Islam Makhachev, specifically that he was able to finish Maddalena while Makhachev went to decision. This creates another potential media rivalry for the lightweight champion beyond existing narratives with Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. The quick finish gives Buckley credibility in callout discussions. The post notes that Garry and Rakhmonov would not be first in line among Makhachev's potential media opponents.