Middleweights
Joaquin Buckley (11-3) vs. Jordan Wright (11-0)Buckley looked like an intriguing prospect when he got the UFC call in August, but the worry early on was that he might have difficulty overcoming the UFC’s matchmaking. Buckley had proven himself to be an explosive athlete with an interesting if unstructured bag of tricks, but Kevin Holland was a rough ask for a late-notice UFC debut, and he was quickly put into another tough matchup against a high-ceiling prospect in Impa Kasanganay. Buckley probably would have gotten a third shot even with a loss to Kasanganay, but he made that a moot point with one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history. Buckley threw a kick that the Gym-O rep caught, but he quickly followed up with a spinning kick to Kasanganay’s jaw that felled him like a tree. The knockout became an instant viral sensation and has now seemingly made Buckley a made man in the UFC’s eyes. Rather than immediately getting thrown into the deep end, Buckley gets a winnable fight and a chance at another highlight. Wright put forth a relatively infamous performance on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as the self-proclaimed “Beverly Hills Ninja” was quickly smashed by Anthony Hernandez in a fight where the result was later overturned due to a failed test for marijuana. Wright is better than that showing suggests, as he can cause some damage with his dedicated karate style, but the Hernandez fight does show that he is somewhat out of his depth against better athletes who can track him down and throw knockout power. Buckley checks all of those boxes, and there is not even much of a chance that Wright can outlast him by staying elusive. One of the most impressive traits Buckley has shown to date is an ability to throw constant power without slowing down or getting tired. Wright may provide some early frustration, but Buckley should be able to finish this sooner rather than later. The pick is Buckley via first-round knockout.
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