Joaquin Buckley faces a critical moment in his career as he aims to break a two-fight losing streak against Mike Malott in a top-10 welterweight clash at UFC Fight Night this Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta. The 32-year-old fighter from St. Louis recognizes this bout as an opportunity to regain momentum after setbacks against elite wrestlers Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady.

Despite recent losses, Buckley (21-8) believes he possesses the skills to create an exciting striking matchup with Malott (14-2-1), who has a distinct ground advantage. Buckley stated, "I think I match up pretty good... this should be a really exciting fight for the crowd."

Buckley reflects on his last fight against Brady, where he suffered a lopsided decision defeat. He acknowledged, "I thought I was very prepared... but Sean Brady came in and did his job." Buckley aims to focus on his offensive strategy to regain his footing in the welterweight division.

Malott enters the fight riding a four-fight win streak, including a notable TKO victory over Gilbert Burns. However, Buckley is determined to reclaim a title shot that slipped away from him in May 2025 when defending champion Belal Muhammad lost to Jack Della Maddalena.

Reflecting on his past success, Buckley emphasized, "I knew that I had the tools to give [current champion] Islam Makhachev some real problems." He remains focused on the present, stating, "I truly believe... I'm about to find out for myself" what the fight against Malott will bring. Buckley looks to channel his past victories into a decisive performance that could launch him back into title contention.