With an impressive resume of 19 victories and 6 defeats, Joaquin Buckley is climbing the welterweight rankings to claim the 170 lbs gold. Currently ranked #11th in the stacked division, ‘New Mansa’ wants to make a huge name for himself by defeating top opponents. The fighter is on a four-fight winning streak. Well, as Buckley looks to close the gap for the 170 lbs title shot against Welterweight king Belal Muhammad, his next opponent, Stephen Thompson could be the key to unlocking the title shot. The duo is scheduled to face each other in a cracker of a contest at UFC 307.

As he climbs to the top of the ranking table slowly but surely, a question has been on the mind of the fans about the nationality and ethnicity of the fighter. Well, ahead of his anticipated clash, let’s have a deeper look at Joaquin Buckley’s life.

Where is Joaquin Buckley from? What is his ethnicity and nationality?

Born on April 27, 1994, Joaquin Buckley started his MMA training when he was in high school by making wrestling his base. ‘New Mansa’ eventually grew his interest in the field of MMA and soon transitioned to fighting full-time. Born and brought up in the streets of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., his story is a sad one. ‘New Mansa’s childhood was filled with the absence of paternal love.

Well, talking about his nationality, Joaquin Buckley is 100% American but his ethnicity appears to be a bit diverse. The fighter considers himself to be African-American but if we have a closer look at his family tree or rather his title of ‘Buckley’ then we get a different picture. Why, you might ask? Well, that’s because the last name ‘Buckley’ finds its roots particularly in the United States, England, and Ireland rather than in any of the African nations.

Immigration reports suggest that a massive number of people named ‘Buckley’ came to the States during the peak of wartime. Regardless, there might be multiple reasons why ‘New Mansa’ has such a name. Well, now that we know about his ethnicity and nationality. Let us have a look at his parents.

All we know about Buckley’s parents and family

Joaquin Buckley’s childhood was tumultuous as his father was never in the picture. As he grew up in a matriarchal household, ‘New Mansa’ understood the importance of women in one’s life. His mother and his grandmother raised him, “My mom was the really strict one. I had to be in the house at a certain time, I had to do my homework, and I had to get everything done,” said Buckley as he reminisced about his mother.

‘New Mansa’ considered his grandmother to be his role model and also credited his grandparents for instilling various things in him. According to him, “My grandma was more lenient. She would encourage me to get out and be creative and have fun.” His grandmother’s efforts led Buckley to write stories when he was younger, during a time when he kept more to himself.

Well, things changed when he was in the sixth grade as he lost his mother due to some heart condition. After losing his only parent, Buckley became numb but he found solace in fighting. Well, the fighter is looking to make his lineage proud as he is claiming the ranks. Regardless, what’s your take on Joaquin Buckley? Can he slay ‘Wonderboy’ to climb further up the rankings at UFC 307? State your thoughts in the comments below.