This time, it’s Shakur Stevenson vs. the UFC with Joaquin Buckley firing the first counterpunch and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier stepping in to back him up. After Stevenson suggested that the UFC “could never be boxing,” Buckley didn’t hesitate. The surging welterweight called boxers “disrespectful” toward MMA fighters and criticized what he views as a cautious, record-protecting style in today’s sweet science. Cormier agreed and went even further.
Buckley’s issue isn’t with boxing as a sport. It’s with what he believes modern boxing has become. In his view, elite boxers often prioritize defense and preserving undefeated records over pursuing knockouts. The result? High-level technical performances that may win rounds but don’t always win over fans.
The implication was clear: fighters like Stevenson, known for defensive mastery and ring IQ, represent excellence but not always excitement. Buckley’s message was blunt. If you’re a true fighter, you seek the finish. In MMA, coasting isn’t an option. One mistake can lead to a knockout, submission, or scramble that flips a fight instantly. The danger is constant. And in Buckley’s mind, that makes the UFC product more compelling.
Cormier echoed Buckley’s sentiment but framed it historically. On his YouTube channel, Cormier said the UFC doesn’t need to be boxing especially not modern boxing.
“If I wanted to be boxing,” Cormier explained, “I’d want to be boxing of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.” He referenced eras defined by icons like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson periods when heavyweight title fights felt like global events. He pointed to the days of Lennox Lewis and even the dominance of the Klitschko brothers, when championship bouts carried undeniable mainstream weight.
Cormier’s central argument: boxing once delivered massive stars fighting each other at the right time. Today, he believes, those consistent mega-clashes are harder to find.