Morning Report | Joaquin Buckley announces his next fight will be his retirement fight after speaking with his grandmother

UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley has announced that his upcoming bout will be the final fight of his MMA career. Buckley shared on social media that he made the decision to retire after consulting with his grandmother and family members following a knockout loss to Mike Malott at UFC Edmonton. He stated that his grandmother urged him to step away to protect his health, but he requested her blessing for one final appearance because he did not want to leave the sport on a defeat.

The 18-fight UFC veteran explained that he wants to preserve his physical well-being for his children and prevent further long-term damage. Buckley joined the UFC in 2020, competing at middleweight before moving down to welterweight in 2023. Over the course of his promotional career, he compiled an 11-7 record and earned six post-fight bonuses, but he is currently on a three-fight losing streak following recent defeats against Kamaru Usman and Mike Malott.