Joaquin Buckley implemented his unorthodox knockout against Impa Kasanganay after watching his opponent juggle during fight week.
When fight fans look back on Joaquin Buckley's career, many different angles will come to mind. From an awkward call-out from Conor McGregor to his strange feud with a UFC broadcaster, Buckley's UFC tenure has been extremely eventful.
Buckley's name came to prominence in 2020, during the height of UFC events during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when the UFC was one of the biggest sources of entertainment for fans stuck at home, Buckley's biggest highlight reel knockout went viral and drew many new fans to mixed martial arts.
Buckley knocked out Impa Kasanganay, a current PFL star, with a wild two-touch spinning backkick in October 2020. Although he initially thought he was being thrown purely on instinct, Buckley decided to implement the technique into his game plan after seeing Kasanganay relax during the fight. week.
One of Kasanganay's downtime activities ultimately became the catalyst for Buckley's all-time great knockout.
Joaquin Buckley says Impa Kasanganay's juggling inspired a breathtaking knockout
During a recent interview on the MightyCAST podcast, Buckley explained how Kasanganay's juggling inspired the idea behind his knockout technique.
“He started catching my kicks a lot, and the reason why I think he was so good at catching my kicks is because before that fight we were hanging out in the hotel, and I saw him juggling,” Buckley said . “He can juggle well and has good hand-eye coordination. And I thought, 'Man, why is he doing that? That makes no sense.” But when he caught my kicks, he was so quick with it.
“So if he catches my kick again, I have the opportunity to throw this kick. So I feint, boom, I throw the kick, catch it again and get a good grip on it. We twist, turn and throw the offense,” Buckley continued. “And I feel like at that moment I could just think and be free, and actually have the realization that I could do that, it cemented the name for life.”
Fortunately for Buckley and Kasanganay, both fighters have found sustained success since the knockout. Kasanganay won the PFL light heavyweight title last year, while Buckley is on the verge of a potential UFC title shot.
Remarkably, Buckley scored a similar knockout against Andre Fialho in his UFC welterweight debut last year. After recent wins over Stephen Thompson and Nursulton Ruziboev, Buckley is knocking on the door of title contention.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Joaquin Buckley is closing in on a title shot to headline UFC Tampa
Buckley returns to the Octagon this weekend at UFC Tampa against three-time UFC title challenger Colby Covington. A win over Covington, especially by stoppage, could potentially earn Buckley a title shot for his next fight.
Buckley has reinvented himself since making the full-time move from middleweight to welterweight during his UFC stint. With a solid wrestling foundation and his vastly improved striking skills, Buckley is one of the most dangerous contenders in the welterweight division.
Ahead of his next UFC fight, Buckley's iconic knockout of Kasanganay remains at the top of fight fans' minds when they look back on his career to date. Buckley could repeat history this weekend when he comes face-to-face with Covington in Tampa.
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