Welterweights make the walk at Boardwalk Hall.
At UFC Atlantic City, ranked contender Vicente Luque defends his top spot against the oncoming Joaquin Buckley. Luque was originally billed to face Sean Brady in the headliner but Brady opted out of the bout due to injury. Buckley would save the day, stepping in on short notice for what is now the co-main event of the evening.
Luque, 32, attempts to climb the rankings with another win streak in the welterweight division. The Brazilian beat former champion Rafael Dos Anjos in his last outing in August. Before that, Luque was closing on a title shot but had his four-fight win streak replaced with a two-fight skid to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal.
The electric Buckley enters his biggest fight to date in A.C. Known for his knockout power, the St. Louis-native will try to add on to his ever-growing highlight reel and finally get a ranking next to his name. Buckley rides back-to-back wins over Alex Morono and a KO of Andre Fialho.
Round 1:
Buckley opens the fight with a jumping sidekick. Leg kick lands for Buckley. Luque fires back with the same strike. Buckley throws another leg kick, following it with a punch upstairs. Luque kicks to the body. Buckley lands a side kick to the body. Luque eats a leg kick. Luque falls to the ground but gets back up.
Buckley uses his footwork well in the Octagon, giving Luque many different angles to look at. Buckley lands a leg kick. Luque tags the body with a kick. Luque works for a takedown near the end of the round, but Buckley defends the attempt well against the cage.
Christopher De Santiago scores the round: 10-9 Buckley
Round 2:
Luque throws a kick before Buckley times a blitz up the middle. Leg kick continues to land for Luque. Buckley loads up big on his punches as Luque evades. Buckley throws a leg kick and Luque returns with a counter punch. A left hand clips Luque.
Luque ends up on his back from a scramble and Buckley uses it to his advantage, going to work with ground and pound from top position. Buckley pours it on, landing big strikes until the referee is forced to stop the contest.
Official result: Joaquin Buckley defeats Vicente Luque via TKO (punches) in round 2 (3:17)
Check out the highlights below:
BUCKLEY HAMMERS HIS WAY TO A BIG WIN 🔨 #UFCAtlanticCity pic.twitter.com/wt09AB2Wiz
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 31, 2024
HE'S ON THE WELTERWEIGHT RADAR 🚨@NewMansa94 gets the 2nd round KO at #UFCAtlanticCity pic.twitter.com/G4Wodg7HFy
— UFC (@ufc) March 31, 2024
