Joaquin Buckley has been one of the fastest rising stars in the UFC welterweight division. He has gained fans with his explosive performances and his unforgettable spinning back kick knockout. But besides this, there is another thing that causes intrigue among MMA fans, and that is his nickname, “New Mansa.” But what does it actually mean?
The Origin of Joaquin Buckley’s Nickname “New Mansa”
In the world of MMA, nicknames usually say something about a fighter’s personality, skills, or heritage. For Buckley, the name “New Mansa” is linked to centuries of African history and the legacy of one of the richest people in history.
However, Buckley wasn’t always known as “New Mansa.” Earlier, he was called “Young Buck,” which was a straightforward combination of his surname and his young status in the sport.
During a conversation with the UFC, he said, “I always went as ‘Young Buck’ when I was younger. I was younger at the time, my last name is Buckley, so I picked a simple name. But I thought, ‘I’m not going to be able to grow up with this nickname; eventually I’m going to have to pick something different.’”
Buckley looked for some names like “‘Pitbull’ and ‘Punisher’ and ‘Dominator,’” but he felt they were too “generic” and “somebody else already has those goofy names.” That’s when he decided to look into his heritage and went back to his roots.
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“So I decided to do my history, some homework on some great, powerful leaders, and I ran up on this guy named Mansa Musa, from the early 14th, 15th century. He was the richest man of all time, at one point, and I was like, ‘I’m trying to go for that.’ I’m about the gold, I want to be rich, and I also want to be king one day, so why not ‘New Mansa,’” Buckley said.
“Mansa” means “Sultan” in Mali language and and Musa ruled the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337 CE. Mansa Musa I built his wealth with West Africa’s gold and salt mines. His empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to Timbuktu, and he was so rich that it affected even the economies of the places he visited.
Buckley chose the nickname “New Mansa” not just to connect with his dreams and goals, but it was also as a way to rebrand himself. It marked the beginning of a new journey in his UFC career when he dropped down from middleweight to welterweight in 2023, and the name perfectly fits this new journey.
During UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill media day, Buckley mentioned how Mansa Musa was one of the biggest explorers in the world. “I think of myself… as a leader and somebody who is always willing to explore… new adventures. Because he is one of the people who [did that as well] with all the money that he had, searched for the new world,” he said.
Buckley further added, “I’m really not about to tap into it too much, but I feel like America was discovered by certain people, certain kind of [people], way before Christopher Columbus, you know what I mean.”
Joaquin Buckley (@Newmansa94) talks about the origin of his nickname pic.twitter.com/tlb8tctho2
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) May 17, 2023
By calling himself the “New Mansa,” Buckley is sending a message that he wants to dominate the fight game just like Mansa Musa ruled his empire. While the original Mansa controlled gold and trade, Buckley aims to rule the Octagon and win UFC gold.