An unexpected warning in the UFC: "I will be Makhachev's worst nightmare"

The UFC welterweight division has become one of the most dangerous in the entire company in recent months due to the number of prospects who could become champions in the future. One of them is Joaquin Buckley (21-6), who will face a legend like Kamaru Usman (20-4) on June 14. If he wins, the American would be on the verge of a title shot, and he is clear that he is the one to stop Islam Makhachev (27-1) after his decision to move up in weight class and leave the lightweight belt vacant.

"I will be Makhachev's worst nightmare, not Della Maddalena," Buckley told 'Parry Pinch', who believes the Dagestani will manage to beat the Australian to win the double belt. However, he does see himself capable of beating Makhachev, as since dropping to welterweight in 2023 he has accumulated six straight wins - four by KO. This has placed him in the number seven spot in the division's rankings, but a win over Usman would put him firmly in the top five.

Even Khabib will probably tell you that moving forward is not a good idea

Joaquin Buckley, sobre Islam Makhachev

Buckley is one of the hardest hitters in the division, and he is clear that he can finish both Usman and Makhachev. "What I did to Colby and what I'm going to do to Kamaru... Even Khabib will probably tell him that moving forward is not a good idea," Buckley concluded. The Nigerian and the Dagestani have elite grappling, which could be key when facing a fighter who has not yet been submitted in his career.

Ian Garry, another future possibility

Despite Buckley's rise, the rise of Makhachev and the emergence of other fighters such as Sean Brady or Shavkat Rakhmonov could mean that the American will have to go through another toll before getting that title shot. One of the possible opponents he could face is Ian Garry, with whom he has already had some run-ins that add more spice to the possibility of them facing each other in the octagon.

Both fighters like to talk when there's a camera in front of them, even when they're not the protagonists. In fact, in Garry's last fight against Carlos Prates, Buckley made a surprise appearance at the press conference and tried to provoke the Irishman. The range of possibilities within the 170-pound division suggests that all the fighters at the top of the rankings are destined to fight each other, so it is very likely that they will meet in the future.