UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley is currently on an impressive run in the promotion. New Mansa is riding a six-fight win streak, which includes victories over names like Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, and Colby Covington. In 2020, Buckley shared a war of words with James Krause.
Joaquin Buckley vs. James Krause
In October 2020, Joaquin Buckley went viral on social media for his incredible spinning back kick knockout against Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night 179. He also received a bonus check of $50,000 for the knockout performance.
James Krause delivered an impressive performance a week later and defeated Cláudio Silva via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 180. At the post-fight press conference, Krause slammed Buckley, criticized his behavior, and said he would be open to locking horns with him.
A few days after that win, Krause appeared on MMA Fighting‘s What The Heck podcast, where he shared his version of the rivalry against New Mansa. “He messaged me probably five or six weeks ago and asked if he could come train,” shared Krause. “I pretty much just told him no. I said no. Listen, I know people just ‘met him’ from his viral video. He’s from St. Louis, he’s not too far from me.
“He’s been kicked out of every gym in St. Louis. I’ve never heard a good word said about him,” Krause said. “He messages me, basically saying he doesn’t want to train, he wants to come spar. I said, ‘I’m not interested. That’s not how it works here. We don’t even spar hard here. What you’re looking for is not what we’re doing.’ I said pretty much, ‘No, you’re not a good fit.’”
A month after Krause’s comments, Buckley made a quick turnaround and fought Jordan Wright at UFC 255 in November. New Mansa had another impressive outing and knocked Wright out in the second round of the fight. Buckley was again awarded the “Performance of the Night” bonus worth $50,000 for his efforts.
After the fight, Buckley did an interview with Joe Rogan where, without naming Krause, he issued a challenge to fight the Newport News, Virginia native.
“There’s other dudes out there that I want to fight, who talking that nonsense, and I really want to give it to them,” Buckley said. “‘Because when I hurt them, the referee can’t save them. You guys know who I’m talking about. Look up my name on YouTube, you’ll see him. He’s the only person talking stuff. I don’t need to give his name out, just do your homework, and you’ll know who I’m talking about. Fight Island, January 23rd.”
I am as hyped for Buckley vs Krause as Buckley is #UFC255 pic.twitter.com/1l9lzJzhBH
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) November 22, 2020
Despite the two individuals calling each other out for a showdown, the matchup never materialized.