Joaquin Buckley has compiled a 4-5 record in the UFC when he fails to complete a single takedown in a fight. Without any successful takedowns, he has managed to defeat Colby Covington, Vicente Luque, Albert Duraev, and Jordan Wright, all via finish. Notably, in all of Buckley's losses, he also failed to complete any takedowns. The post questions whether Buckley will manage at least one successful takedown against Sean Brady this weekend, with the implication that his ability to secure takedowns may be crucial to his performance.
Heading into his welterweight showdown with Sean Brady this weekend, Joaquin Buckley carries an intriguing statistical footnote: when he fails to complete a single takedown in a fight, he is 4-5 in the UFC — and every one of those losses also came in bouts where he recorded zero successful takedowns.
The encouraging side of that split is the quality of the wins. Among those four victories without a takedown, Buckley finished Colby Covington, Vicente Luque, Albert Duraev, and Jordan Wright, all by stoppage. Luque, a 34-year-old finisher out of Kill Cliff FC who lands 4.83 significant strikes per minute and carries a 24-12-1 record, is no soft highlight. Duraev, a 37-year-old Russian veteran with a 16-5 mark, also presented real danger on the feet. The troubling side of the split is equally clear: in every UFC loss on Buckley's ledger, he also went the entire fight without landing a takedown.
That pattern makes the grappling dimension of Saturday's fight worth watching closely. Brady, ranked seventh in the welterweight division, is a 33-year-old Philadelphia product who trains out of Renzo Gracie Philly and carries a 19-2 record. He is one of the division's more dangerous wrestlers, averaging 3.53 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 55 percent and 3.96 significant strikes landed per minute. At five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach, Brady is compact and relentless in the clinch.
Why it matters
- If the historical pattern holds, Buckley's ability to secure at least one takedown may be a meaningful indicator of how the fight unfolds.
- Brady's 3.53 takedowns per 15 minutes makes him a credible threat to dictate the wrestling exchanges first, potentially forcing Buckley into a reactive role.
- A welterweight ranked seventh, Brady is in the mix for a title shot, giving the outcome significant divisional weight.
