Joaquin Buckley Snubs Dana White During UFC Face-Off

During the ceremonial face-offs for UFC Fight Night 291 in Edmonton, Joaquin Buckley created a tense atmosphere by ignoring handshakes from both his opponent Mike Malott and UFC CEO Dana White.

As the fighters faced off after the weigh-ins at Rogers Place, Buckley declined White's handshake, focusing solely on Malott. When Malott attempted to shake hands, Buckley also ignored him, maintaining an intense stare and seemingly muttering to himself. This moment was captured on video, showing White's surprise and matchmaker Hunter Campbell's puzzled reaction.

Backstage, Buckley continued this intense demeanor, remaining silent during an interview with UFC correspondent McKenzie Pavacich. This behavior follows a previous exchange in February where Buckley challenged White's dismissal of his sparring challenge to Terence Crawford. Malott later commented that such theatrics do not affect the fight itself, noting a shift in energy from earlier in the week. Buckley and Malott are set to headline the event, which will be available for streaming on Paramount+.