In the preliminary card of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Stephen Thompson faced off against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight bout. “New Mansa” won the fight by TKO in what was a high-quality contest.
This was a fight to rise from the ashes in the welterweight division. Ranked 9th in the category, Stephen Thompson needed to bounce back from his recent loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov by submission. To do so, “Wonderboy” faced Joaquin Buckley, who was riding a four-fight win streak. “New Mansa” was particularly dominant in this match.
Round 1: Joaquin Buckley started strong, taking control of the center of the cage and landing a straight right hand before executing a slick takedown on his opponent. After a brief ground phase, he trapped Stephen Thompson, ranked 11th in the division. Cautiously, “Wonderboy” refrained from rushing in, despite Buckley’s heavy attacks. Respecting Thompson’s power, Buckley worked with well-executed sequences. At the end of the round, the 41-year-old Thompson defended perfectly against Buckley’s offensive.
Round 2: After attempting a high kick, Stephen Thompson was caught by Buckley’s right hook. Midway through the round, “New Mansa” landed another takedown, but “Wonderboy” managed to get back on his feet. Both fighters engaged in rapid exchanges, with both suffering blows. Thompson closed out the round by managing the distance exceptionally well, despite Buckley’s burst of energy.
Round 3: The final round started aggressively from both sides. Buckley connected with his combinations before being struck in the face by Thompson’s kick. Following a brief recovery, Buckley delivered a devastating hook that dropped “Wonderboy” to the canvas.
Joaquin Buckley won by TKO in the third round in a hard-fought match against Stephen Thompson.
With this victory, Buckley might have earned a spot in the top rankings, especially after his previous loss to Nassourdine Imavov by unanimous decision. Regardless, the future looks bright as he eyes a top-10 finish.
