Alex Pereira allegedly declined showdown with UFC welterweight known for epic KO

Joaquin Buckley, who has climbed into the top ranks at 170 pounds, says he had the chance to take on Pereira back when the Brazilian was just breaking through in the middleweight division in 2022.

Buckley lost an opponent on short notice and says his then-manager called him with an opportunity to fight the man who would later become a two-division champion.

‘Nem Mansa’ claims he was ready for the challenge and believed he could have finished Pereira that night.

“He (Alex Pereira) wasn’t able to take the fight because they said they wouldn’t be ready in time. I was planning on knocking that man out,” he said on a video recently published on his YouTube channel.

Buckley’s UFC career got off to a rocky start, but it did not take long before he made a name for himself with highlight-reel finishes.

Joaquin Buckley made history with a knockout on ‘Fight Island’

Buckley’s UFC debut came in a third-round loss to Kevin Holland, and he would go on to lose two of his first four appearances.

But his fortunes changed dramatically five years ago when he faced future PFL star Impa Kasanganay. ‘New Mansa’ delivered one of the most creative knockouts the sport has ever seen.

After Kasanganay caught a kick, Buckley spun out and landed a devastating back kick that quickly went viral across social media.

The clip racked up 17.8 million views on the UFC’s official Instagram account, making it the most-watched Instagram video ever posted by the organisation at that time.