Fighter who once knocked Joaquin Buckley out, believes 'New Mansa' can "get the title at 170 pounds" post Colby Covington win

Joaquin Buckley's dominant performance against Colby Covington has led his former opponent, Kevin Holland, to believe that 'New Mansa' could pose a serious threat to the welterweight title. At UFC Tampa on Dec. 14, Buckley outclassed Covington, ultimately earning a third-round TKO.

During a recent appearance on Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Holland acknowledged Buckley's impressive performance and shared his thoughts on the 30-year-old's potential in the welterweight division:

"It's been a wonderful run at 170. Capitalizing on everything. I think the toughest fight he had was... I think [Rakhkmonov] was going to be his toughest fight. I think once he got past that, it would be too many guys. Honestly, I think he could get the title next at 170 pounds, I really do!"

Explaining what makes Buckley a serious threat to other welterweight contenders, Holland said:

"I don't really see anybody that's in his way that's gonna beat him, you know. Styles make fights and he's a hard person to take down at 170 pounds. If they can't take him down, I don't think they've got what it takes to strike with him. So it's a bad night for a lot of those guys."

Check out Kevin Holland's comments below (56:40):

For the uninitiated, Buckley made his UFC debut against Holland in August 2020. Holland won the fight by third-round TKO, earning the Performance of the Night bonus.

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Joaquin Buckley disappointed that doctor's stoppage in the Colby Covington fight stripped him of a legitimate KO

Joaquin Buckley was declared the winner by TKO due to a doctor's stoppage after the cage-side doctor determined that Colby Covington could not continue because of the worsening cuts around his eye. During the ESPN UFC Post Show, Buckley shared his thoughts on the stoppage, saying:

"I really wanted to feel that fourth and fifth round and to see if I can really push that pace. But the doctor kind of stopped the fight a little bit too early."

He added:

"I really do feel like a knockout was taken away, and not just from me but from the fans too. That's what they were expecting, especially this being the last fight closing out the year."

Check out Joaquin Buckley's comments below (0:10):

Buckley returned to the welterweight division in May this year, following consecutive losses against Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis in 2022. The win over Covington extended his win streak to six. Furthermore, Buckley's striking and takedown defense have received significant praise following his recent success.