Joaquin Buckley wins co-main assignment with Nursulton Rujiboev at UFC's ESPN 56

The UFC's next trip to St. Louis will feature a co-main event.

Joaquin Buckley will be in a key match of the event as he faces Nursulton Ruzhiboev in the welterweight co-main bout of UFC on ESPN 56 (ESPN, ESPN+) on May 11th at Enterprise Center. I made my wish come true.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the matchup on Instagram on Wednesday. The highlight of the event will be a heavyweight showdown between former title challengers Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento.

It's not the main event that Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) had hoped for after crashing out at the UFC 300 pre-fight press conference, but “New Mantha” will face fellow finisher Rujiboev in his hometown. (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

Buckley has been on a tear since dropping from middleweight to welterweight. He moved on last May and has three wins, including a huge ground-and-pound finish over Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54 in March.

Luzhiboev hasn't seen Round 2 since 2019. He is currently on a hot streak with 10 straight fights under the UFC banner, including finishes of Bruno Ferreira and Cedriquez Dumas, all on a one-round stoppage. He will be down to 170 pounds for the first time since 2021, when he won the fight that sparked his current winning streak.

As a result, the current UFC on ESPN 56 lineup includes:

Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruzhiboev
Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Wolberg
Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jussette
Tabitha Rich vs. Tecia Torres
Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson
Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson
Terrence McKinney vs. Esteban Libovic
Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Chase Hooper
Billy Goff vs. Trey Waters
Waldo Cortez-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne
Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecchi

Cedriquez Dumas UFC, ESPN 54 official weigh-in

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Nursulton Ruzhiboev UFC, ESPN 54 official weigh-in

Nursulton Ruzhiboev

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Nursulton Rujiboev vs. Cedriquez Dumas UFC on ESPN 54

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Nursulton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) enters the Octagon…

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Nursulton Rujiboev (red gloves) enters the Octagon to fight Cedrique Dumas (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Required Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Nursulton Rujiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves) on UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Required Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) fights Cedriquez Dumas (blue gloves)

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MMA: UFC Fight Night – Atlantic City – Ruzhiboev vs Dumas

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Nursurton Ruzhiboev (red gloves) celebrates defeating Sedriquez…

March 30, 2024. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Nursulton Rujiboev (red gloves) celebrates defeating Cedriquez Dumas (not pictured) at UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Required Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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