Joaquin Buckley calls for early 2026 showdown with former UFC welterweight champion
UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley has called for a showdown with former world champion Belal Muhammad in the first quarter of 2026.
As we know, Joaquin Buckley is one of the most intriguing strikers currently residing in the welterweight division. However, in his most recent outing, he fell short in his attempt to overcome Kamaru Usman. He came close to a comeback victory late in the fight, but in the end, it was ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ who had his hand raised.
In response to that, Joaquin Buckley has been eager to get back in there and prove that he has what it takes to really make a run for the gold. He has improved massively over the course of the last few years and if he can pick up another finish in his next fight, it’ll really put the cat amongst the pigeons at 170 pounds.
In a recent response to a video posted by Belal Muhammad, Joaquin Buckley revealed his interest in facing off against Belal in March 2026.
Joaquin Buckley wants Belal Muhammad fight
“Happy new year, big fella. But yeah, Belal, I like that. 2026, trying to get a win. But when, are you trying to get a win? W-h-e-n? Because when you having these goals and you’re making big plans for the new year, you gotta be real specific. So, put a date on it.”
“I got a date for you – March 7th. Let’s make it happen in Vegas. Right? Let’s run it. We can both aim for both our goals, to get a win, a w-i-n. 100%. Let’s go.”
Buckley knows that he can compete against wrestlers in the division, proving that against both Usman and Colby Covington – even managing to pick up the win in the latter of those two bouts.
Muhammad, meanwhile, is coming off the back of two straight wins, and he knows better than anyone how hard it is to come back from three straight losses. Regardless of whether or not he takes this fight, Belal has to know that the clock is ticking if he wants to get back into the title picture.
