Joaquin Buckley on why he “loves” potential Gilbert Burns fight after UFC Atlantic City

UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley wants to face another Kill Cliff FC standout, Gilbert Burns, after his emphatic win last Saturday.

Buckley defeated Vicente Luque by second-round TKO at UFC Atlantic City on Saturday. He has now won three in a row since making the full-time move to welterweight after an up-and-down middleweight stint.

Ahead of his expected entrance into the welterweight Top 15, Buckley is targeting some of the top names in the division. This includes Burns, who recently suffered a disappointing loss to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299.

Buckley wants to return at UFC St. Louis on May 11 and feels Burns would be the perfect opponent for his preferred timeframe.

Joaquin Buckley targets Gilbert Burns for UFC St. Louis

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Buckley explained why a fight with Burns makes sense for both sides.

“I love the idea of Gilbert Burns,” Buckley said. “Right now, we’re 3-1 against [Kill Cliff FC]. The first guy that beat me from that team was Logan Storley back in Bellator, he held me down for 15 [minutes]. After that, I knocked out Impa Kasanganay, André Fialho, and now their boy Vicente. So now, I’m 3-1 with them.”

Buckley has been on a roll since a knockout loss to Chris Curtis at UFC 282. He finished André Fialho by head kick last May before a unanimous decision victory against Alex Morono.

Burns has suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career after defeats to Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad. Before his recent setbacks, he earned back-to-back victories over Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal.

After fighting at UFC 299 just weeks ago, getting Burns to make the quick turnaround could be a challenge. However, Burns has shown a tendency of wanting to remain active in his fighting career.

A win over Burns could propel Buckley into the welterweight title mix, and he’s looking to make a splash as his 2024 campaign rolls on.