Joaquin Buckley Still Working at Walgreens After Two Knockout Wins in UFC

Joaquin Buckley followed up his “Knockout of the Year” frontrunner with another stoppage victory at UFC 255 this past Saturday, but that doesn’t mean “New Mansa” is going to quit his day job.

Buckley revealed to TMZ Sports that he is working on getting an apparel business up and running, but until that happens, he plans on keeping his gig at national pharmacy store chain Walgreens.

“Besides the UFC, and they’re giving me these big checks, I still don’t have a business of my own,” Buckley said. “I need to just keep working and having that working mentality and work ethic. So I’m just gonna keep holding down the job. Until my business is off the ground, we’re gonna still keep working at Walgreens.”

Buckley likely clinched the top spot for best KO of 2020 with his spinning back kick finish of Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night 179 on Oct. 10. The 26-year-old St. Louis native wasn’t quite as spectacular with his follow-up effort, but he was nonetheless impressive in knocking out Jordan Wright in the second stanza at UFC 255.

Buckley hopes to return to the Octagon in January on what figures to be a blockbuster pay-per-view bill.

“I’m gonna take December off, but hopefully get back in there in January. To get on that Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier 2 card, that’d be dope,” Buckley said. “Hopefully I get to go against that guy that I really want. No need to mention his name. If they give that to me, that’d be perfect. But if they give me anybody else, that’s cool too as long as I get to fight in January.”

“That guy,” of course,” is James Krause, who didn't have anything positive to say about Buckley due to an interaction with “New Mansa” when he attempted to train at Glory MMA & Fitness last summer.

“It’s just pure lies. Him tellling everyone I got kicked out of every gym. That’s not true. Him saying I tried to knock out all my sparring partners. It’s just not true,” Buckley said. “He’s just out here spreading lies and spreading rumors. That’s crazy. And people actually believe in this dude.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s getting frustrating. For him to think he can keep talking this stuff without any type of punishment or any type of consequences is ridiculous. I’m gonna see him regardless if the UFC gives me the fight or not.”

Buckley’s recent run has thrust him into the spotlight, and he realizes that stardom comes with a price. That doesn’t matter so much if he keeps adding knockout victims to his resume.

“People are always gonna have something to say,” Buckley said. “People are always gonna have their opinions about me — whether I’m good or whether I’m great. But that doesn’t matter. I’m just gonna keep doing what I’m doing, knocking them down and getting these paychecks.”