Joaquin Buckley got the biggest win of his UFC career to date with an impressive stoppage of Vicente Luque.
The welterweight bout was the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) was patient in the early going, but gradually faded. He stepped up his attacks and finally stopped Luque (22 wins). 10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) at 3:17 of round 2.
The opening round was spent on the feet, with the explosive welterweights looking for opportunities. Buckley launched an attack from the outside, but Luque tried to counter with nimble steps from the center. It was a relatively even first round.
Buckley used a flying attack early in the second round, connecting with a nice knee kick. A few minutes later, Luque was hit with a flurry of punches that forced him to take cover against the fence, but he was uninjured when he returned to the center of the cage. But Buckley started to settle for punches and started connecting with a few flashes of his left hands.
Luque's takedown attempt was easily reversed by Buckley, who positioned himself and began raining down hard ground and pound. As Buckley continued his onslaught, the referee drew closer and closer. Eventually, the barrage stopped and Buckley scored the TKO finish.
Buckley may have found his true home at welterweight. The former middleweight moved on in 2022 after two setbacks. However, he moved up to the 170 weight class in 2023 and has won three straight since then, and his promotion rankings will likely follow suit.
Luque, a welterweight ranked No. 11 in the UFC, entered the fight fresh off a win over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but was unable to maintain his momentum.
The latest results for UFC on ESPN 54 include:
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Joaquin Buckley def. Vicente Luque TKO (punch) – Round 2, 3:17
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Chris Weidman def. Bruno Silva unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Nursulton Rujiboev def. Cedriquez Dumas via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:18
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Kyle Nelson def. Bill Algeo, TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:00
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Chidi Njokuani def. Rhys McKee, split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
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Nate Landwehr def. Jamall Emmers via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:43
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Vilna Jandirova def. Loopy Godinez unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Julio Arce def. Herbert Burns wins by TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:00
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Dennis Buzkuja def. Connor Matthews TKO (punch) – Round 3, 0:22
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Ivo Aslan def. Anton Turcalj TKO (punch) Round 3, 1:32
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Jacob Marcon def. Andre Petroski TKO (Strike) – Round 2, 0:39
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Caolan Laurent def. Angel Pacheco (unanimous decision) (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
For more information on this card, visit MMA Junkie's UFC event hub on ESPN 54.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
