Buckley calls out Poirier and Strickland for a racial slur

Joaquin Buckley calls out Dustin Poirier and Sean Strickland for a racial slur. He posted it on Instagram on Tuesday after Poirier praised Josh Hokit.

Poirier was arrested at Atlanta International Airport for public drunkenness in June, the footage showed him challenging a police officer and using a racial slur, and he later apologized and thanked the officers. Buckley said that footage was Poirier himself, and that a missed flight was not the cause, because Poirier could have booked another one. Buckley went after the words Poirier used toward the Black women who were there, and he said Poirier changed his tone when a second officer arrived.

Buckley said Poirier takes on Black culture in public and names Lafayette, called Hokit a racist in that post, and told Din Thomas to stop condoning it and come back. Hokit meets Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title on November 14 at Madison Square Garden, which the Madison Square Garden card books, and heavyweight is 265 pounds (120 kg).

Buckley told Poirier to pull up, and he used Poirier’s own line that it would be bad for him. Commenters asked why the post left Strickland out. Buckley posted a second video of himself and a friend speaking to Strickland, and the friend called Strickland out for a racial slur Strickland used at a Brandrisk Promotions event. Buckley wrote that he approached Strickland and told him to be careful with what he says on those platforms, and that he approaches everyone in the UFC the same way.

On Wednesday, Poirier commented, “Tryna get some views? Shut up or kill me!” Buckley answered that the comment got attention and views and does not make sense, and he said they can talk when he sees Poirier, and that if Poirier takes the first swing, Buckley will land the first hit. Strickland posted a spar in which he dropped Buckley.

Buckley is 32 and 21-9, welterweight is 170 pounds (77 kg), and he is 70 inches (178 cm) with a 76-inch (193 cm) reach. Mike Malott knocked him out with a knee at 2:32 of the second round on October 17, 2026, Sean Brady beat him by unanimous decision at 5:00 of the third round on May 9, 2026, and Kamaru Usman beat him by unanimous decision at 5:00 of the fifth round on June 14, 2025. St. Louis is his birthplace. He trains at STL Boxing, he started training in 2012 and turned pro in 2014, the nickname New Mansa comes from the Mali Empire, where mansa means king, and Isaiah and Ariah are his children. Fifteen wins came by knockout and six by decision, four finishes came in the first round, seven in the second, and four in the third, and he has won nine of his last 13. He stopped Colby Covington by doctor stoppage at 4:42 of the third round on December 14, 2024, he knocked out Chris Heatherly in 2016, and Kevin Holland stopped him with strikes at 0:43 of the third round on August 8, 2020, in the Octagon debut.

Poirier is 36 and 30-10, lightweight is 155 pounds (70 kg), and he is 69 inches (175 cm) with a 72-inch (183 cm) reach. Max Holloway beat him by unanimous decision at 5:00 of the fifth round on July 19, 2025, for the BMF title at UFC 318. Lafayette, Louisiana is his birthplace. He trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, he has fought pro since 2009, and Tim Credeur gave him the nickname The Diamond when he reached the WEC. The WEC record was 1-1, and the last of those bouts was a 53-second TKO of Zack Micklewright in November 2010. Sixteen wins came by knockout and seven by submission, the submissions were two brabo chokes, a triangle armbar, three armbars, and a rear-naked choke, and thirteen finishes came in the first round. The decision wins were Dan Hooker, Joseph Duffy, Erik Koch, Jason Young, Jim Miller, Max Holloway on April 13, 2019, for the interim lightweight title, and Josh Grispi on January 1, 2011, in the Octagon debut, and he has won nine of his last 14. Eddie Alvarez landed illegal knees, and the UFC 211 bout was a no contest at 4:12 of the second round on May 13, 2017. Poirier is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He collected aluminum cans and picked pecans before he fought, his first fight was in 2007, as an amateur he went 8-1 with two belts at lightweight, including an eight-man tournament in Iowa over two days, and he held three pro belts at lightweight.

Strickland is 35 and 31-7, middleweight is 185 pounds (84 kg), and he is 73 inches (185 cm) with a 76-inch (193 cm) reach. He won the middleweight title by split decision over Khamzat Chimaev at 5:00 of the fifth round at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, he has not defended it, and before that he stopped Anthony Hernandez with strikes at 2:23 of the third round on February 21, 2026. California is his birthplace. He trains at Millennia MMA in Rancho, California, he started training at 14, turned pro at 16 in 2008, and he has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Twelve wins came by knockout, four by rear-naked choke, and fifteen by decision, and nine finishes came in the first round. Strickland went 5-3 across eight welterweight fights and is 11-4 at middleweight, he has won 12 of his last 16 and six of his last eight, and he held a King of the Cage middleweight belt. A 2012 win came against Josh Bryant, and the Octagon debut was a rear-naked choke of Bubba McDaniel at 4:33 of the first round on March 15, 2014.