Joaquin Buckley’s recent call-out of Conor McGregor and subsequent criticism of both McGregor and Michael Chandler has generated significant attention.
After securing a unanimous decision victory over Nursulton Ruziboev in the co-main event of UFC St. Louis, Buckley surprised many by issuing a challenge to McGregor, who is scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29.
Buckley was disappointed by McGregor’s lack of response and took to social media to express his frustration in a profanity-laden post. He accused McGregor of not upholding the family name and implied that the McGregor lineage had a history of cowardice:
“No response from @TheNotoriousMMA thought my man would stand on business about the McGregor name but I guess that long line of McH*es continues on. I hope McJr can end that h*e curse that runs in the McGregor’s name.”
Shifting his focus, Buckley also criticized Chandler for a post celebrating UFC 303’s milestone of surpassing $20 million in ticket sales. He suggested that McGregor could fight virtually anyone and still draw huge numbers, belittling Chandler in the process:
“Conor could fight a blind crippled Ni*ha in a wheelchair and that sh*t would make 20 million instead he fighting the midget.”
These comments come in the wake of Chandler highlighting the financial success of UFC 303, set to break the live gate record previously held by UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden, which had a $17.7 million gate with McGregor headlining.
No response from @TheNotoriousMMA thought my man would stand on business about the McGregor name but I guess that long long line of McHoes continues on 😂I hope McJr can end that hoe curse that runs in the McGregors name 💯 #TakeTheThrone #LetThatHoeGo
— Joaquin New Mansa Buckley (@Newmansa94) May 13, 2024
In response to Buckley’s inflammatory remarks, Daniel Cormier publicly rebuked him during an episode of the “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show with Chael Sonnen. Cormier condemned Buckley’s derogatory comments about McGregor’s family, particularly his mother, calling the call-out highly inappropriate and disrespectful:
“That was horrible, how do you do that? I just don’t know what he was doing. Then he goes and he calls Conor McGregor’s mom a bad name. It couldn’t have gotten worse. It was bad.”
Cormier’s disapproval underscores the general sentiment within the MMA community that personal attacks, especially involving family, are crossing a line of professionalism and respect.
