Joaquin Buckley and Ian Machado Garry currently find themselves on differing paths towards contention, but a future confrontation inside the octagon is certainly possible.
Tensions between the two UFC welterweight fighters escalated this past week following what appeared to be an intense face-to-face encounter at Friday`s UFC Kansas City ceremonial weigh-ins.
While Garry was on stage and Buckley was in the audience, the exact words exchanged remain unclear, but it was evident that neither man was pleased to see the other.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Buckley addressed the incident directly.
“The reason why he doesn’t understand me is because I don’t speak ‘Cuck-anese,’” Buckley stated. “You understand? So I can understand why he didn’t understand me the first time. But when I was out there, and he doing his weigh-ins, I’m not trying to get into his head and nothing like that, but when you talk like that, don’t act like when you see me like I’m invisible. You talk about me. You saying my name? Holla at me. Let me know something.”
“But you know, his girl very protective, protecting her man. Shit, using the baby like a shield, whatever. But I really wanted to see what Ian Garry’s about and just what he had to say to me in person and he was real quiet.”
Buckley`s controversial comment appears to reference the frequent public scrutiny Garry faces regarding his personal life, particularly his relationship with his wife, Layla, who has publicly defended herself and their marriage against negative remarks.
Despite the personal animosity, Buckley seems uninterested in settling the conflict outside of an official fight. His immediate focus is on his next challenge, headlining UFC Atlanta on June 14 against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Regarding the weigh-in confrontation, Buckley claimed, “Nothing happened,” although he mentioned Garry’s partner touching his arm. “His girl was touching on my arm and stuff like that, caressing my arm, I don’t know what all that was about.” He added that security personnel need to be vigilant given fighters` unpredictable reactions but reiterated his preference for promoting a potential fight, saying, “if we’re really going to get down, let’s get paid for it at the end of the day.”
Garry competed later that Saturday, headlining the UFC Kansas City event and securing a five-round decision victory over Carlos Prates. When asked about Buckley`s comments during the post-fight press conference, Garry offered a concise reply.
“That man is an absolute p*ssy,” Garry stated bluntly. “I don’t care for anything he has to say. Leave him to be him. Let’s move on.”
He later downplayed the encounter, adding, “There was no incident with me at the weigh-ins with Joaquin,” and claimed, “I didn’t f*cking see him.”
Upcoming Fights Featuring Mentioned Fighters:
- Kamaru Usman (20-4) vs. Joaquin Buckley (21-6); UFC Atlanta, June 14
Other notable upcoming bouts mentioned:
- Rafael Fiziev (12-4) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5); UFC Baku, June 21
- Max Holloway (26-8) vs. Dustin Poirier (30-9, 1 NC); UFC 318, July 19
Commentary on Garry vs. Prates Scoring
Following the UFC Kansas City event, while neither fighter`s reputation seemed significantly damaged, there has been noticeable discussion and disappointment regarding Ian Machado Garry`s inability to secure a strong finish against Carlos Prates and whether Prates missed an opportunity to capitalize. The scoring of the fight has also drawn debate, with some questioning the fairness of awarding Prates only a 10-9 score in Round 5 when compared to rounds won by Garry.
How did you score the fight?
Marcus Blakely 
Wesley Dunham