Joaquin Buckley considered for UFC 315 title fight with Belal Muhammad: ‘He almost got it’

Surging welterweight challenger, Joaquin Buckley came very close to securing himself a title fight against Belal Muhammad on short-notice at UFC 315, according to promotional color-commentator, Daniel Cormier — who claims rumblings suggested the St. Louis star was in the running.

Buckley, who most recently headlined UFC Fight Night Tampa at the end of last year, recorded the most high-profile win of his Octagon tenure to date.

Taking on former interim champion, Colby Covington in a main event clash, the streaking, Buckley earned himself the number six rank in the division with an eventual third round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over the Clovis veteran.

The victory came as Missouri striker, Buckley’s sixth on the trot since his welterweight return, following a prior rallying knockout win over former title challenger, Stephen Thompson, as well as stalwart contender, Vicente Luque.

Eventually landing on Australian contender, Jack Della Maddalena as his foe for the main event of UFC 315 in May, Muhammad was initially targeted to take on the unbeaten finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Joaquin Buckley considered for UFC 315 title fight in Canada

However, according to Cormier on tonight’s UFC 313 broadcast, Buckley was briefly considered to fight for gold, when Uzbekistan-born challenger, Rakhmonov was struck down through injury.

“I heard he (Joaquin Buckley) almost got it [the title fight at UFC 315],” Daniel Cormier said during tonight’s UFC 313 broadcast. “I know it wasn’t public, but they said it came very close to Joaquin Buckley being the guy.”

And missing out on a charge this time around, the St. Louis native has been vocal in his call for a definitive title eliminator with former undisputed champion, Kamaru Usman in his return to action later this year.

“I would like a former champion on my resume and would be Kamaru be it, right? Got Colby, right? Interim champ,” Buckley said. “But I’m like, let me get a former champ too. And somebody that was decorated to the point where they thought he was gonna be the welterweight GOAT at some point in his career. Let me go ahead, get him up out of there, get busy with him, and then go get my belt, right?”