UFC middleweight turned welterweight Joaquin Buckley revealed he worked overnight shifts at Walgreens while pursuing his MMA dream after being cut from Bellator. After going 3-2 in Bellator and losing his contract, Buckley found himself without a gym or steady income. He bounced between various jobs including maintenance work, security, landscaping, and working at Steak ‘n Shake before settling at Walgreens.
“I used to work 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.,” Buckley said on The Mighty Cast podcast. “And then I keep that cycle going and that was for about a good two years.”
Moving Back Home
During this challenging period, Buckley moved back in with his grandmother to save money while continuing to train. “I had to move in back with my granny because the funds was too low to take care of myself,” he explained. He would work overnight shifts at Walgreens, take care of his grandmother who had ALS in the morning, train during the day, and repeat the cycle.
“I made sure that every night that I worked got back up in the morning go straight to my granny make sure that she all right and then we’ll be back outside training again and then you know get some rest later on and then just work throughout the night again,” Buckley described his grueling routine.
Training Against the Odds
Buckley faced significant challenges during this time, including being kicked out of his gym. “I had to train for about a year and a half without having a fight,” he said. “Got kicked out of the gym I was at… pretty much didn’t have anywhere to go so pretty much had to find me a nice little 9-to-5 job.”
Despite these setbacks, he remained committed to his MMA career. He worked various jobs, including at Steak ‘n Shake, picking up carpet, and landscaping before finding more stable work at Walgreens.
The Breakthrough
The grind eventually paid off when Buckley got signed to LFA, where he secured two knockout wins that caught the UFC’s attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I kind of gave up on the dream because at the end of the day the reason why I took those fights is cuz I literally needed that money,” Buckley reflected on his journey from working retail to the UFC.
Since joining the UFC, Buckley has moved back down to his natural welterweight division and is currently riding a five-fight win streak. He credits his experience during those challenging times as a learning opportunity. “I put myself in a position where I coordinate my workouts as needed,” he said. “I feel like a lot of guys allow too many other people to run their careers when it’s your career.”
Buckley is now set to face Colby Covington in his first UFC main event, highlighting how far he’s come from those overnight shifts at Walgreens just a few years ago.
