Joaquin Buckley: Islam Makhachev 'definitely going to run' from me if he wins UFC title

Joaquin Buckley doesn't see Islam Makhachev sticking around the UFC welterweight division for too long.

Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is looking to emerge as No. 1 contender when he takes on former champion Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 69 (ESPN, ESPN+) headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

But before Buckley potentially gets his shot, Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) will challenge recently crowned UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena later in the year – even though Buckley doesn't agree.

"So once I beat Kamaru Usman, there is no debate, there is no back-and-forth, there is no argument, we up next," Buckley said on his YouTube channel. "You got this guy from 155 coming up thinking he's going to take my spot. No, we can't have it. The JDM fight and Islam fight is not a massive fight to make. JDM is the world champion right now, but I truly believe that Islam got to sit back and just wait for me to get my title because I will be the hardest fight that Islam has."

Unfortunately for Buckley, UFC CEO Dana White has already declared Makhachev next in line for Della Maddalena. If both Buckley and Makhachev emerge victorious in their next fights, "New Mansa" doesn't see the former UFC lightweight champion wanting to face him.

"He's not going to outwrestle me. He's not going to submit me," Buckley said of Makhachev. "I've never been submitted in my career, and he's definitely not going to stand on the feet with me. If the people want to see it, it's going to be made. ... If Islam does get blessed with that title shot, and he does beat JDM, he's not going to stay there. He's going to retire. He's going to get up out of there, quit, because he knows he's not a natural 170 fighter – and especially with myself, he's definitely going to run from a person like me."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joaquin Buckley: Islam Makhachev 'definitely going to run' from me