Joaquin Buckley didn’t just snub Mike Malott at the UFC weigh-ins. He seemingly snubbed Dana White, too — and that’s where things get really interesting. The welterweight contender refused to shake hands with the UFC CEO at the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 291 in Edmonton, and fans are already wondering if his icy attitude could come back to bite him.

The awkward moment kicked off when Malott extended his hand during the traditional faceoff. ‘New Mansa’ wanted absolutely none of it, keeping his eyes locked on his Canadian opponent. But things got even spicier when the UFC CEO stepped in with an outstretched hand, only for the 32-year-old to ignore him as well.

With his coach standing nearby, Joaquin Buckley continued glaring at Malott and appeared to mutter something under his breath. The clip quickly made the rounds on social media, with fans split over whether Buckley was simply locked in for fight night or had taken his pre-fight intensity a little too far by blanking the UFC boss himself.

However, this wasn’t the first time Joaquin Buckley had taken a shot at Dana White. Their tensions had already surfaced in February this year, when ‘New Mansa’ criticised the UFC CEO for dismissing a street-fight challenge involving Terence Crawford with a blunt “Crawford and who?” response.

So, the 32-year-old wasted no time in reminding the UFC CEO of his viral 2020 Knockout of the Year and even called for a boxing match against Callum Walsh.

“Dang, Dana. You done forgot who I was? You done forgot the dude with Knockout of the Year 2020? One of the most viral knockouts in the UFC… One of your most viral fighters?,” Buckley said on Instagram. “It ain’t nothing personal, bro — but if you don’t think MMA fighters have a place in Zuffa Boxing, I really believe you’re mistaken.

“If you don’t believe me, get your boy Callum Walsh in the Apex with me… and I’ll show you how it get down in the boxing ring.”

But if there’s one thing UFC history has taught us, it’s that getting on Dana White’s bad side can make things very interesting. Just ask Tito Ortiz, who took a shot at the UFC boss back in 2008 and ended up at the centre of one seriously awkward story involving his next opponent, Lyoto Machida.

With Joaquin Buckley now seemingly giving White the cold shoulder, the old-school drama is suddenly looking pretty relevant again. The Ortiz saga kicked off at the UFC 84 weigh-ins, when the former light heavyweight champion showed up wearing a shirt that read “Dana is my B—h” amid a heated contract dispute with the promotion.

White clearly wasn’t amused, and after Machida beat Ortiz by unanimous decision the following night, the UFC boss decided to give the Brazilian an extra reward of his own.

Speaking to Los Angeles radio personality Big Boy, the head honcho revealed that he had “actually wrote (Machida) a personal check” for beating Ortiz. Machida later confirmed the story to MMAFighting.com, describing the bizarre moment as feeling like a hitman collecting payment from his boss.

“He really did that,” Machida said. “I felt like a hitman getting money from the boss, but it was cool.

“I won’t tell you how much he paid me, but it was good money.”

According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Machida earned $100,000 for the win, but the amount Dana White personally handed him was never revealed. Tito Ortiz’s loss also gave the UFC an opportunity to let his contract expire, bringing their relationship to a temporary end.

But here’s the twist: Ortiz’s star power eventually helped bring him back. Less than 15 months later, he returned to the UFC, and in 2012, the promotion inducted him into its Hall of Fame. So while the fallout with White was real, it wasn’t the end of Ortiz’s UFC story.

However, ‘New Mansa’ didn’t pull off just one stunt, but two. Because it seems like he wasn’t done giving everyone the silent treatment just yet. After blanking Dana White and refusing to shake Mike Malott’s hand, the welterweight contender took things up another notch during his post-weigh-in interview with UFC correspondent McKenzie Pavacich.

She tried getting him to open up about his training camp and fighting in Malott’s home country, but the 32-year-old gave her absolutely nothing. Not a word. The painfully awkward interview dragged on for roughly a minute before Pavacich finally called it quits.

She told viewers that Joaquin Buckley would “stay locked in” before moving the broadcast along. At this point, it was getting pretty hard to miss the pattern. Whether Buckley was playing mind games, staying laser-focused, or deliberately making a statement, he clearly wasn’t interested in entertaining the usual fight-week media circus.

But what he truly did was get social media talking all about him and his future in the promotion that, as per fans, now seems to be in jeopardy.

Fans fear Dana White’s retaliation for the Joaquin Buckley snub

Buckley’s behaviour has led to a flood of reactions from fans, many of whom believe refusing to acknowledge White could put the welterweight in a difficult position if he loses to Malott. Some suggested the UFC boss might take the incident personally, while others joked that Buckley could find himself on the chopping block after the fight.

“Bros already doing the math on how he can cut him, count your days pal,” one fan wrote.

Another imagined White holding a grudge if Buckley failed to win.

“Dana now wants him to lose the fight or he’s getting cut.”

Others criticised the decision to ignore the UFC CEO, arguing that fighters should avoid antagonising the person who controls their opportunities in the promotion.

“Never disrespect your boss that literally gave you a career. He’ll be cut within the week 😂,” one comment read.

One fan even suggested that White might have cancelled the bout out of spite if he had been in charge of the decision.

“I’d be so petty and call the fight off if I was Dana,” the viewer wrote.

The reaction continued with predictions that Buckley had damaged his standing with the promotion before even stepping into the Octagon.

“You just marked yourself and probably ended your career. Dumba– congratulations,” another fan commented.

“I’m not gonna lie at all, that was a bad look for JB and now he on DWs s— list. May JBs career rest in peace,” one person added.

Another viewer imagined what might be going through White’s mind after the snub, writing, “Yeah This kid gotta go” inside that bald head.

“Well, that’s his last UFC fight now lol,” another fan joked.

Of course, there’s a chance everyone is reading way too much into Joaquin Buckley’s behaviour. Fighters have all sorts of ways of getting themselves mentally ready for a big fight, and refusing to play along with the usual handshakes, interviews, and media obligations could simply be the 32-year-old’s way of blocking out the noise and staying locked in.

Not every awkward moment has to be the start of a backstage war.

That said, snubbing your opponent is one thing. Leaving Dana White hanging is a whole different ball game. For now, there’s no indication that the UFC CEO has taken any action against Buckley over the incident, so talk of potential consequences remains pure speculation.

Still, all eyes will be on ‘New Mansa’ at UFC Fight Night 291. If he delivers a statement performance, the icy attitude could look like a calculated mind game. If things go south, though, fans might wonder whether all that pre-fight drama was worth it.