Joaquin Buckley goals for homecoming ‘viral second’

UFC on ESPN 56 will mark the primary time in nearly eight years since Joaquin Buckley’s final struggle in his hometown of St. Louis, so that you higher imagine the rising welterweight is trying to, as he stated, “flip up” Saturday evening at Enterprise Heart.

Buckley, No. 11 within the newest official UFC welterweight rankings, meets Nursulton Ruziboev within the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main occasion. Buckley believes he willed this homecoming into existence by calling for it after he TKO’d Vicente Luque to attain the largest win of his profession simply six weeks in the past.

“That’s simply how the universe works. Whenever you converse issues out and if you’re unafraid and assured and also you really work towards issues, the universe will reward you.” Buckley informed reporters at UFC on ESPN 56 media day. “Dana (White), clearly listening to that I wished to struggle in my hometown metropolis and clearly having somebody like me be on the cardboard, he solely knew that the numbers had been gonna go up. I’m glad he took the chance by placing me on the cardboard. Now we’re right here, let’s go.”

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been on a roll since he moved down from middleweight to welterweight, profitable three in a row, together with the end of Luque that propelled him into the rankings. Buckley is taking a danger in opposition to Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a conventional middleweight who’s coming right down to welterweight.

Factor is, all that basically appeared to matter to Buckley is preventing in St. Louis.

“It has nothing to do with the opponent,” Buckley stated. “Clearly they needed to discover any person that wasn’t even a welterweight fighter to get on there. So, for me, it was simply the chance to truly be capable to struggle. With Nursulton, I don’t know if he’s gonna make the burden, however it don’t even matter. I’ve already adjusted my thoughts set that it doesn’t matter what he steps from the dimensions as, so long as I’ve acquired an opponent, we’re good. I’m feeling to knock this boy out. …

“Proper now having the power of my hometown, having my household out watching me, and it’s been years since they watched me stay final time I fought in St. Louis for Bellator again within the day. I really feel like now that I get the chance to struggle in my metropolis, I’ve acquired to show up. I’ve acquired to do essentially the most – what individuals count on, proper? They need that viral second, and I really feel like we’re gonna get that.”

That second, ought to it occur, would create fairly the scene Saturday evening, and Buckley – who owns maybe the best knockout in UFC historical past – envisions the struggle ending in that vogue.

“It can come to me naturally, however I do have a setup,” Buckley stated. “I do have one thing in thoughts that I wish to do and I wish to hit him. All of it will depend on Nursulton and the way he comes. Regardless, although, I do know that knockout is gonna be there on the finish of the day.”