Buckley Calls Out Rakhmonov After UFC 310 Shakeup
Joaquin Buckley publicly made his case to face Shavkat Rakhmonov after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from their planned December 2024 title bout. Ian Machado Garry stepped in to meet Rakhmonov in Las Vegas, while Buckley remained on the Tampa card against Colby Covington. The matchups and results are now settled.
Buckley’s challenge and the matchup shuffle
After Muhammad’s injury forced him out, Buckley argued that his run of finishes made him a compelling opponent for Rakhmonov. At the time, Buckley was riding a five-fight winning streak, including a knockout of Stephen Thompson at the October 2024 event in Salt Lake City. His claim drew attention, but the promotion selected Garry, who was already booked to face Buckley at the Tampa event.
Garry moved up to the December 7 co-main event in Las Vegas, and Rakhmonov won their five-round bout by unanimous decision, 48–47 on all three scorecards. The result kept Rakhmonov unbeaten and positioned him for a title opportunity; the bout was not an interim championship fight.
Buckley’s Tampa result
Buckley remained on the December 14 Tampa card and faced Covington after the lineup changed. He won by technical knockout when the ringside doctor stopped the contest at 4:42 of round three because of a cut near Covington’s eye. Buckley later met former champion Kamaru Usman in June 2025 and lost by unanimous decision.
Sources and official records
MMA Fighting reported Buckley’s callout on October 31, 2024. The official official December scorecards confirm Rakhmonov’s decision over Garry; the Tampa results report records Buckley’s win over Covington, and the Atlanta event report lists his 2025 loss to Usman.
