the reign of Alex Poatán in the UFC has generated both admiration and controversy. While the Brazilian wins fans and titles, some opposing voices are rising in the MMA scene. Joaquin buckley, known for one of the most plastic knockouts in the history of the sport, expressed his concern with the meteoric rise of the current light heavyweight champion (up to 93g.), especially when compared to the trajectory of fighters who dedicated years to the sport.
In an interview with 'Parry Punch', Buckley spared no criticism of the ease with which athletes from other disciplines, such as kickboxing, have reached the top of the UFC.
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“No disrespect Alex Poatán, because I'm a big fan of that son of a bitch. But it's weird and seems stupid. Other guys who aren't even part of MMA look at us now and see an opportunity to be champions. It shouldn’t be like this,” said Joaquin.
The welterweight veteran recognizes Alex's hard work, but questions how quickly the Brazilian adapted to MMA and achieved unprecedented feats.
“Poatan may be working hard every day, I know, but it's strange to think that a guy started training MMA thinking about being a champion, but suddenly another guy comes from another sport (kickboxing), transitions into a totally different sport and is still capable of winning. It's a problem. I think a lot of guys aren’t trying hard enough as they should,” he said.
the trajectory of Alex Poatán in MMA is praised by the UFC community. In a short time, the Brazilian won the middleweight belt (up to 83,9kg) and then the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg), including big names like Israel adesanya, Jamahal hill, Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka e Sean Strickland.
