UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley will make his first return to Fight Island after a star-making knockout win.
Buckley is set to face off with Alessio Di Chirico, an octagon veteran on a three-fight skid, at UFC Fight Island 7, MMA Fighting confirmed with a person with knowledge of the bout after an initial report from MMA Junkie. Buckley also confirmed the fight on his official Instagram page.
UFC Fight Island 7 takes place Jan. 16 and is headlined by a featherweight bout between ex-champ Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar. Buckley vs. Di Chirico’s placement on the card has not been confirmed.
Buckley is one month removed from his most recent knockout victory, a second-round stoppage of Jordan Wright at UFC 255. It was his second knockout win in the octagon and came on the heels of an acrobatic kick that earned him Knockout of the Year honors from MMA Fighting and multiple media outlets.
Immediately after finishing Wright, Buckley targeted a bout against veteran James Krause. But despite a campaign that included Krause’s teammates, the matchup didn’t materialize.
Di Chirico meets Buckley in the midst of worst career slide, having lost bouts against Kevin Holland, Makhmud Muradov and Zak Cummings in his previous three UFC outings. His most recent win came at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale in July 2018 when he won a split decision over Julian Marquez.
The current UFC Fight Island 7 card includes: