Dana White was asked whether Joaquin Buckley ignoring his handshake at the face-off had bothered him. 😂 After Buckley suffered a devastating second-round KO loss to Mike Malott, Dana joked, “As soon as he lost, I told Hunter, ‘Cut him.’” 💀 He then clarified that he had no problem with Buckley. SHOULD THE UFC CUT JOAQUIN BUCKLEY, OR DOES HE DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE? #ufc #mma #ufcfightnight #danawhite #joaquinbuckley
UFC CEO Dana White joked that he wanted Joaquin Buckley cut from the roster after the welterweight suffered a second-round knockout loss to Mike Malott, before quickly making clear he has no issue with the fighter.
White was asked whether Buckley ignoring his handshake at the face-off had bothered him. The UFC head responded with a quip, saying that as soon as Buckley lost, he told Hunter to cut him. White then clarified that he has no problem with Buckley, making it plain the comment was a joke rather than a roster decision.
Buckley, nicknamed "New Mansa," enters the post-fight conversation at 21-9-0 and ranked tenth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old American trains out of Murcielago MMA and fights from a southpaw stance. He lands 3.62 significant strikes per minute at 36 percent accuracy and averages 1.43 takedowns per 15 minutes. At five-foot-ten with a 76-inch reach, he is known for explosive, high-volume offense.
Malott, known as "Proper," is 15-2-1 and holds the number 13 spot at welterweight. The 34-year-old Canadian fights out of Team Alpha Male and works from an orthodox stance. His striking numbers are the sharper of the two: 4.02 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He also averages 1.63 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. At six-foot-one, he gives up a little reach to Buckley, with a 73-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Malott's second-round knockout over a top-10 welterweight is a significant result for a fighter ranked three spots lower.
- Buckley's loss adds a ninth defeat to his record and may reshape his position in the rankings.
- White's remark, though delivered as a joke, drew attention because it followed the face-off handshake episode, but his clarification indicates Buckley's standing with the promotion is not in question.
