Tag: Joaquin Buckley

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Joaquin Buckley after UFC on ESPN 56 win?

Joaquin Buckley made it 4-0 since dropping to welterweight at UFC on ESPN 56, and now the competition is about to get serious.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] proved again why welterweight is the right division for him Saturday with a strong showing against the highly touted Nursulton Ruziboev UFC on ESPN 56.

Buckley (20-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) made it four consecutive victories since he dropped to the welterweight division a year ago when he outworked Ruziboev (34-9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) to a unanimous decision in front of his home crowd at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, and the growing threat of “Newmansa” in this division cannot be ignored any longer.

After putting a beating on perennial contender Vicente Luque just six weeks ago, Buckley took a step down in name value to get his hometown fight. He treated Ruziboev as he should’ve ranking-wise, and he’s now done everything that warrants a bigger opportunity.

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Who is on deck for Buckley as he makes his ascent up the 170-pound rankings? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 56.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC on ESPN 56 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $3 million

UFC on ESPN 56 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ST. LOUIS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 56 took place at Enterprise Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 56 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Trey Waters[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Billy Ray Goff[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]JJ Aldrich[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,560; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $56,000 while title challengers get $56,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-56 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,106,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $25,843,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Dana White praises Joaquin Buckley’s UFC on ESPN 56 win, but shuts down his Conor McGregor request

Dana White shares his thoughts on Joaquin Buckley’s dominant win at UFC on ESPN 56.

[autotag]Dana White[/autotag] liked what he saw from [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] this Saturday. Well, at least almost all of it.

The UFC CEO was taken away by Buckley’s (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) showing at UFC on ESPN 56, where he defeated Nursulton Ruziboev in the co-main event of the card. Buckley, who had fought and defeated Vicente Luque at the end of March, called to fight in his hometown of St. Louis just a few weeks later against whoever the UFC could put in front of him.

Despite coming off arguably the most high-profile win of his career, Buckley accepted to take on unranked, but dangerous Ruziboev (34-9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), putting on his win streak on the line.

“He asked for this fight. He fought a guy that was smashing people in the first round, and he went out there and took the fight to him,” White said at the UFC on ESPN 56 post-fight press conference. “It was an incredible performance, and in his hometown. In my experience, and it’s funny because you get some guys say, ‘It’s my dream to fight in my hometown,’ but most people don’t want to fight in their hometown. There’s a lot of pressure and everybody is hitting you up for tickets. It’s a different vibe when you fight in your hometown.

“Buckley called for this, came out, and he delivered. That guy is going to be a rock star here now. People who didn’t know who he was yesterday, definitely know who he is now.”

After the victory, Buckley was interviewed in the cage where he called for a fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor – something White won’t entertain, as he answered with a simple “Nuh-uh” when asked about it at the post-fight press conference.

Buckley is on a four-fight winning streak since dropping back down to welterweight. He’s in one of his best career runs and quickly rising up the ladder at 170 pounds. He also said he’s interested in fighting welterweight veteran contender Gilbert Burns next.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC on ESPN 56 results: Joaquin Buckley insults Conor McGregor’s bloodline in callout after homecoming win

Joaquin Buckley insulted Conor McGregor’s “hoe” bloodline after his UFC on ESPN 56 win.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] made the most of the St. Louis homecoming he campaigned weeks for.

In Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event at Enterprise Center, Buckley (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) sent the fans into a frenzy when he defeated Uzbekistan’s [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] (34-9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-27).

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A population of Uzbek fans made their presence known during the walkouts, but the noise they made paled in comparison to that over the local St. Louis audience as they cheered on one of their own. In a surprise move, Buckley walked to the cage with an Uzbekistan flag.

Once the action began, the crowd cheered and chanted for Buckley, who absorbed some heavy punches from Ruziboev and charged through for a takedown. Buckley controlled Ruziboev on the ground for a short period before they rose up and separated.

Ruziboev tagged Buckley with a few more shots and sprinted across the cage for a big flying knee. However, Buckley planted him. Once back up, Ruziboev landed some more.

In Round 2, Buckley took Ruziboev down again. The theme was repetitive throughout the round. Once Ruziboev got up, Buckley planted him again.

Things got wild in Round 3, as Buckley rocked Ruziboev and dropped him. As Buckley swarmed, Ruziboev’s long legs flailed for upkicks. Ruziboev scrambled up. Buckley rocked Ruziboev again and mounted the Uzbek fighter. Buckley rained down punches, much to the delight of the St. Louis faithful.

Referee Keith Peterson warned Ruziboev to move. Ruziboev followed directions, reversed Buckley, and ended up on top. But before long, Buckley was back on top. Ruziboev survived danger and made it back to his feet, however. The two swung (with lots of misses) up until the final bell.

After the win, Buckley called out UFC star Conor McGregor, who returns from a near four-year layoff June 29 vs. Michael Chandler.

“Conor McGregor, I want you,” Buckley said. “You fighting at 170, but you ain’t fighting a welterweight. You’re fighting a lightweight midget. Come at me. You said you built your weight up, but you’re bullying Sean O’Malley and Ryan Garcia. Come and bully me, dog. Let’s see what you’re really about. I did research on the McGregor name, and you come from a long, long line of McHoes.

“Your daddy was a hoe. You granddaddy was a hoe. Your great, great grandpappy was a hoe. So I guess it’s safe to say, your momma raised a hoe. And guess what? If you don’t respond, and I bet the money I ain’t even got that you won’t, the whole world knows I’m telling the truth. It’s my time, and if you want to be the king you’ve got to behead the king. It’s time to take the throne.”

With the victory, Buckley continues his ascent up the ladder and wins his fourth-straight fight. His previous win was a TKO against Vicente Luque in March. Immediately after the win and in the days that followed, Buckley campaigned for a slot on the card in St. Louis. He even went as far as to ask UFC CEO Dana White for a fight during the UFC 300 press conference.

The fight was Ruziboev’s welterweight debut. A 6’5″ fighter, his other two UFC appearances came at middleweight, though he does have previous experience as light as lightweight. A 10-fight winning streak is snapped in defeat.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 56 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC on ESPN 56: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Joaquin Buckley’s unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC on ESPN 56.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. (Fight and venue photos by Jeff Le, USA Today Sports)

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 56

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 56 bout between Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] and [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] meet Saturday in the co-feature bout of UFC on ESPN 56 from Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev UFC on ESPN 56 preview

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) clash in this welterweight co-feature between competitors with middleweight backgrounds. … Buckley has been on a tear since moving down to the welterweight division last year. He has won three straight, including a head kick knockout of Andre Fialho, a unanimous decision over Alex Morono, and a big ground and pound finish of Vicente Luque. … Ruziboev is still new to the UFC, but has stopped both opponents he’s faced at 185 pounds. This fight will be his first at 170 pounds in the UFC, looking to extends his winning streak to three.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev expert pick, prediction

The co-main event in St. Louis features an impromptu welterweight showdown between Buckley and Ruziboev.

Despite fighting at middleweight for his first two UFC appearances, Ruziboev will be dropping down a division on short notice to take a shot at ranked opposition in Buckley.

Ruziboev hasn’t made 170 pounds since 2021, so it will be interesting to see how the weight cut will affect the 30-year-old Uzbek, given his insanely tall frame.

As seen in the southpaw report above, Ruziboev also hasn’t faced a southpaw since roughly 2017, but shows the tools to replicate the success that both Kevin Holland and Alessio Di Chirico had against Buckely. That said, I ultimately have a hard time picking against Buckley in this spot.

Aside from fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Buckley also has more experience when it comes to fighting higher-level opposition on short notice.

Add in the obvious intangibles of Ruziboev’s weight cut, and I’ll officially side with Buckley to find a finish on his diminished foe by round 3.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the American, listing Buckley (-134) and Ruziboev (+110) via FanDuel. Buckley has been a favorite in four consecutive fights, going 3-1 in that stretch. Ruziboev was a near 2:1 underdog in his UFC debut, and flipped the odds in his second appearance. He won both fights by stoppage.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Buckley and Ruziboev are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 9:40 p.m. ET (6:40 p.m. PT). The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

UFC on ESPN 56: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 odds between Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Buckley (18-6-0) | Ruziboev (34-8-2)

Buckley heads into this bout with 3 consecutive victories, including 2 KO/TKO wins over Andre Fialho and Vicente Luque. He also has a unanimous-decision win over Alex Morono in the 3-bout win streak since a 2nd-round KO/TKO loss to Chris Curtis at UFC 282.

The southpaw Buckley has finished inside the distance in 3 of his past 4 fights, although he hasn’t had a fight end in Round 1 since Jan. 16, 2021, a KO/TKO loss to Alessio Di Chirico.

The 30-year-old Uzbekistani fighter has recorded a pair of Round 1 KO/TKO wins over Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas since making his UFC debut July 1, 2023.

Ruziboev has won 10 consecutive pro bouts since a unanimous-decision loss to Boris Miroshnichenko at ProFC 66 Dec. 22, 2019. In addition, all 10 of those fights, including the 2 at the UFC level, have finishes inside the distance. He has 5 submission victories and 5 KO/TKO wins during the span, and the kimura has been his specialty.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:10 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Buckley -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Ruziboev +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -145 | Under +110)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +210 | No -300)

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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

This should be a banger, as both fighters are evenly matched. Both BUCKLEY (-135) and Ruziboev (+110) are 30 years old and each have a 76-inch reach. The Uzbekistani fighter stands 7 inches taller while also being a little more accurate on significant strikes at 43.90% to 36.41%.

This fight is likely to come down to experience and location. Buckley’s hometown just happens to be St. Louis.

While Ruziboev has plenty of experience inside the octagon, he has had limited exposure at the UFC level. Buckley is a veteran at the highest level, not only in the UFC, but also Bellator. He’ll tap into that experience in the North American octagon to get the job done, and it helps he is fighting in his hometown, so he’ll have a raucous crowd spurring him on.

Over/Under (O/U)

Looking to the method of victory, Ruziboev hasn’t lost via KO/TKO or submission since a loss via kimura Oct. 22, 2016, against Daniyar Abdibaev at WEF: Grand Prix 2016.

Ruziboev’s past 5 losses have each come via unanimous decision. We’re taking the more experienced favorite in his hometown, therefore BUCKLEY ON POINTS (+400) for the chance to multiply up by 4 times is a tempting play.

YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+210) for a chance to multiply up by more than 2 times is also a recommended play. OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-145) isn’t a bad bet, either, especially if you’re a little more on the conservative side.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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Video: UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento, Joaquin Buckley’s money, more

UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event in St. Louis.

UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

The weigh-ins took place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 12 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, including the [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] heavyweight headliner, St. Louis’ own [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] in the welterweight co-main event, plus more.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley aims for ‘viral moment’ in St. Louis homecoming fight at UFC on ESPN 56

UFC on ESPN 56 will mark the first time in almost eight years since Joaquin Buckley’s last fight in his hometown of St. Louis,

UFC on ESPN 56 will mark the first time in almost eight years since [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]’s last fight in his hometown of St. Louis, so you better believe the rising welterweight is looking to, as he said, “turn up” Saturday night at Enterprise Center.

Buckley, No. 11 in the latest official UFC welterweight rankings, meets Nursulton Ruziboev in the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event. Buckley believes he willed this homecoming into existence by calling for it after he TKO’d Vicente Luque to score the biggest win of his career just six weeks ago.

“That’s just how the universe works. When you speak things out and when you’re unafraid and confident and you actually work toward things, the universe will reward you.” Buckley told reporters at UFC on ESPN 56 media day. “Dana (White), obviously hearing that I wanted to fight in my hometown city and obviously having someone like me be on the card, he only knew that the numbers were gonna go up. I’m glad he took the opportunity by putting me on the card. Now we’re here, let’s go.”

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been on a roll since he moved down from middleweight to welterweight, winning three in a row, including the finish of Luque that propelled him into the rankings. Buckley is taking a risk against Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a traditional middleweight who is coming down to welterweight.

Thing is, all that really seemed to matter to Buckley is fighting in St. Louis.

“It has nothing to do with the opponent,” Buckley said. “Obviously they had to find somebody that wasn’t even a welterweight fighter to get on there. So, for me, it was just the opportunity to actually be able to fight. With Nursulton, I don’t know if he’s gonna make the weight, but it don’t even matter. I’ve already adjusted my mind set that no matter what he steps from the scale as, as long as I’ve got an opponent, we’re good. I’m feeling to knock this boy out. …

“Right now having the energy of my hometown, having my family out watching me, and it’s been years since they watched me live last time I fought in St. Louis for Bellator back in the day. I feel like now that I get the opportunity to fight in my city, I’ve got to turn up. I’ve got to do the most – what people expect, right? They want that viral moment, and I feel like we’re gonna get that.”

That moment, should it happen, would create quite the scene Saturday night, and Buckley – who owns perhaps the greatest knockout in UFC history – envisions the fight ending in that fashion.

“It will come to me naturally, but I do have a setup,” Buckley said. “I do have something in mind that I want to do and I want to hit him. It all depends on Nursulton and how he comes. Regardless, though, I know that knockout is gonna be there at the end of the day.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Nursulton Ruziboev sees Joaquin Buckley as insecure ahead of UFC on ESPN 56: ‘He talks too much’

UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner Nursulton Ruziboev has seen Joaquin Buckley’s videos and he’s not impressed.

Down a weight class but in the biggest fight of his life, [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] is unfazed by the chatter.

One half of the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event, Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hears the chatter from opponent [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but views it as insecurity. The two fight in a three-round welterweight bout Saturday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“He talks too much,” Buckley told reporters Wednesday during a pre-fight news conference. “He’s always done that. I don’t understand everything that he says because English is still hard for me, but I’ve seen it before in videos. Maybe this is the way for him to kind of show his insecurity. Maybe he talks so much because he’s trying to show me he’s afraid of me.”

Buckley has entered his own in recent months with wins over Andre Fialho, Alex Morono, and Vicente Luque. The victories have surged him up the official UFC rankings into the No. 11 position.

As his success has grown, so has Buckley’s outreach on social media. Not one to hold back and opinion, Buckley has shown off an outgoing and expressive personality with comedic posts and callouts.

Recently, Buckley displayed an army of tall training partners he assembled to prepare for the hulking 6’5″ welterweight Ruziboev.

“Yeah, I saw the video,” Ruziboev said. “It looks like all of them were about 6’4″. None of them were 6’5″. So it doesn’t matter if they’re all super tall or whatever. I’m going to walk into the octagon against him. I’m going to ask God for help. God is going to grant me this victory, so I’m ready for it.”

The fight was a short notice booking for both men. Buckley campaigned hard to fight in his home city and even took to the microphone during the UFC 300 news conference to ask Dana White for the opportunity. The promotion gave Buckley what he wanted and now Ruziboev plans to spoil the homecoming.

“I’ve fought a lot in enemy territory, so it doesn’t really matter to me because inside the octagon, it’s going to just be me and him,” Ruziboev said. “Everybody is going to be rooting for him, but he’s going to be the only one standing in front of me, so it’s not going to be a problem for me whatsoever.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.