Israel Adesanya and Joaquin Buckley clearly share mutual animosity.
The recent UFC Atlanta event saw Buckley face off against Adesanya`s close friend and fellow `African King,` Kamaru Usman, in the headlining bout. Naturally, Adesanya was watching to support Usman and didn`t hold back in expressing his feelings about Buckley beforehand.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Adesanya expressed strong dislike for Buckley, stating he “hated” him and found him “f*cking annoying.” He cited Buckley`s rapping-like speech pattern during conversations as particularly irritating, even admitting to walking away from him once, which he felt led to Buckley`s subsequent animosity towards him. Adesanya conceded that perhaps he was simply a “hater,” though he did acknowledge respecting Buckley`s spectacular 2020 knockout kick.
Adesanya`s sentiment was seemingly validated when Usman secured a dominant decision victory over Buckley at UFC Atlanta, showcasing a classic performance. Despite the defeat, Buckley appeared unfazed and readily responded to Adesanya`s comments on Monday.
Buckley fired back on Monday, writing, “Hate the farmer that took yo belt not me,” referencing Dricus du Plessis, who defeated Adesanya. He added, “Stand on business bout Africa or China or wherever the f*ck you from.”
Joaquin Buckley started his UFC journey in the middleweight division, where the confident `New Mansa` aimed to rise through the ranks. While some losses hindered his progress at 185 pounds, a move down to welterweight in 2023 proved successful, resulting in a six-fight winning streak before his recent loss to Usman.
