It has been 10 years since the ‘New Mansa’ aka Joaquin Buckley entered the UFC business. The St. Louis native successfully acquired a great resume for himself after he came into MMA. As the UFC 307 comes closer fans are getting more excited for the welterweight fighter to return. ‘New Mansa’ is competing against Stephen Thompson in the event. Even though the fans have known his nickname for the octagon all these years, do we know the origin of this unique moniker?

While speaking at a press conference in May 2023, the fighter with an impressive record of 19-6-0 shed light on the meaning of his nickname and where it came from. He took this opportunity to explain the cultural and historical importance of the nickname. Buckley had drawn inspiration from the ninth Mansa of the Mali Empire named Mansa Musa, who is claimed to be the wealthiest person in history.

He said, “My nickname ‘New Mansa’ comes from this man called Mansa Musa. Historically, he was known as one of the richest men who have ever lived, you know. He came from the Mali Empire. I just thought for myself, you know, I think of myself as the king, 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 [inaudible] with all the money that he had, searching for the new world.”

Joaquin Buckley reveals his older nicknames

While talking to UFC and giving an interview, he explained everything about his journey to finding the perfect moniker that Bruce Buffer could announce in the octagon. He explained that when he was younger and did not come to MMA, he was known as a ‘Young Buck”. Since his last nickname was Buckley, he decided to choose something simple for his first name.  

Yet, he explained, “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.” The athlete said that he was mulling over some nicknames like Pitbull’, ‘Punisher’ and ‘Dominator,’ but he was not satisfied since all the names were pretty generic. He wanted something unique that could only be applicable to him. This is when Buckley decided to research history and see the world leaders from ancient times.

Now that he is going to fight Stephen Thompson at UFC 307, we will again hear his moniker inside of the octagon. Are you excited for this event and to see him fight? Let us know in the comments.