At a recent UFC media day, Joaquin Buckley repeatedly told journalists that "on May 9, the world will find out," refusing to elaborate on what he was teasing. He used this phrase approximately ten times during a five-minute media session. When journalists tried to get details, asking what would happen on May 9, Buckley only repeated his cryptic statement. Even when asked about his plans for May 10, he again insisted that the world would learn everything on May 9. The fighter successfully built intrigue while revealing nothing concrete about his announcement.
Joaquin Buckley has the MMA world guessing after a cryptic performance at a UFC media day on May 7, two days before whatever he has planned drops.
The welterweight contender, known as "New Mansa," sat through a five-minute media session and reportedly used the phrase "on May 9, the world will find out" around ten times. Reporters pushed for details, asking directly what would happen on May 9 — and got the same line back. When one journalist tried a different angle and asked about his plans for May 10, Buckley steered the answer straight back to May 9. He gave away nothing concrete, but he gave journalists plenty to write about.
Buckley, 32, out of St. Louis and training with Murcielago MMA, carries a 21-8 record and sits at number eleven in the UFC welterweight rankings. The six-foot southpaw holds a 76-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the division's most dangerous strikers, landing 3.88 significant strikes per minute. He also contributes on the ground, averaging 1.54 takedowns per fifteen minutes.
Why it matters
- At ranked number eleven at 170 pounds, any announcement Buckley makes carries genuine divisional weight
- His striking output and physical tools make him a stylistically compelling opponent for most of the top fifteen
- The deliberate media strategy suggests a planned rollout, possibly a fight booking or a promotional move, rather than an off-the-cuff tease
- Whatever is revealed on May 9 was clearly designed to generate maximum attention heading into the announcement
