Joaquin Buckley believes he should have been front and center at UFC 328 media day festivities.
Instead, the UFC chose to feature only the fighters competing in the main and co-main events during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference at Prudential Center.
Buckley, who faces Sean Brady on Saturday’s main card, admitted the decision caught his attention.
“That’s a great question,” Buckley told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 328 media day. “I feel like for me, that’s where I should have been, and where I should be.”
Buckley made it clear he plans to use the omission as fuel heading into one of the biggest fights of his career.
“But May 9, I’ve just got to show the world why I’m a superstar and why I’m a main event fighter.”
Buckley Turns to Kamaru Usman for Help
Saturday’s matchup gives Buckley another tough stylistic challenge against a high-level grappler.
After suffering a loss to former UFC champion Kamaru Usman last June, Buckley decided to sharpen his wrestling defense and overall game by spending time training at Kill Cliff FC alongside the former champion himself.
“The training has been good,” Buckley said. “A lot of people are going to see all the things I learned from Usman, and from that fight, and the things I got to work on skill-wise when I was competing with him just in the gym.”
Buckley expects those changes to show when he steps into the Octagon against Brady this weekend.
“May 9, the world is going to know all the things that I worked on with Kamaru Usman.”