Joaquin Buckley says French people told him to KO Nassourdine Imavov: 'I think he's in enemy territory, not me'

PARIS – Joaquin Buckley is unexpectedly feeling the love from the French fans.

It’s gotten to the point that Buckley (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) almost sees Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 event as a home bout, despite taking on MMA Factory Paris’ Nassourdine Imavov (11-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at Accor Arena in Paris. The card streams on ESPN+.

According to Buckley, the French fans have been giving him an outpouring of support, even willing him on to knock out Imavov.

“I’m not in enemy territory,” Buckley told reporters at Thursday’s UFC Fight Night 209 media day. “I’ve been getting all the love here in France, in Paris. To be honest with you, Nassourdine – I don’t know how long he’s been here, but I know he’s not born here.

“He’s a Russian guy – Dagestani. He sometimes carried the Russian flag, so a lot of people from France, when I said his name, they didn’t know who he was and they told me, ‘Go get him. Go knock him out.’ For France, that’s what they told me. I’ve got it on video. So at the end of the day, I think he’s in enemy territory, not me.”

Like Imavov, Buckley doesn’t see their fight going the distance.

“Somebody’s getting finished,” Buckley said. “So my thing is having the skill, having experience, and just having a will. Whose will is going to be stronger and who’s going to break first is the person that’s going to fall.

“Whatever he gives me, whatever openings that he shows, I’m going to expose and I’m going to take it. But I do see my hand getting raised at the end of the day.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.