Joaquin Buckley has voiced his frustration with the current state of the UFC welterweight division, criticising the lack of activity among top fighters and calling for bouts to be made at 170-pounds.
Buckley, who has been sidelined since mid-2025, addressed the issue during a recent live stream, arguing that the depth of talent in the division is not being reflected in the number of fights being booked.
“The matchmakers know their job. They know better than me what they doing. But right now, they got the hottest division, and ain’t nobody fighting,” Buckley said.
The welterweight contender went on to single out several high-profile names, including champion Islam Makhachev, as part of a broader criticism of inactivity across the division. “You got Islam out there playing Wrestleball. You got Carlos Prates out there partying and clubbing. You got Michael Morales out there twerking and twirling. You got ‘JDM’ still at the house, crying. You got Leon missing, again. You got Belal Muhammad trying to sell warm meals. You got Ian Machado Garry watching in the corner. … And Shavkat is gone,” Buckley said.
Buckley suggested his remarks were not intended as jokes, but as a genuine reflection of his concern over stalled momentum. “I don’t know what’s going on. Like, what’s going on with the welterweight division? We got to get things active. Come on now, it’s the truth. So yeah, y’all laughing. These ain’t jokes,” he said.
Makhachev claimed the welterweight title late last year, becoming a two-division champion, but has yet to defend the belt, while several leading contenders remain without confirmed matchups or are recovering from injuries.
Buckley himself does not currently have a fight scheduled, and his comments appear aimed at pushing the UFC to accelerate matchmaking and restore movement within a division widely regarded as one of the promotion’s deepest talent pools.
