Dana White had Joaquin Buckley sweating for a second after joking about cutting him from the UFC following his awkward handshake snub at UFC Edmonton. ‘New Mansa’ refused to shake the UFC CEO’s hand during the ceremonial weigh-ins before getting brutally knocked out by Mike Malott in the main event. Naturally, the whole thing had fans wondering whether Buckley had messed with the wrong guy and put his UFC future in jeopardy.

But the UFC CEO has now cleared the air, insisting there’s no bad blood between the two. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, the head honcho explained that every fighter handles the pressure of fight week differently and that Joaquin Buckley’s business was his own.

“However you’re dealing with fight week is your business and your deal, and yeah, it’s all good,” he said.

When asked whether Joaquin Buckley’s refusal to shake his hand had rubbed him the wrong way, Dana White couldn’t resist throwing in a little troll job.

“Well, as soon as he lost, I told Hunter ‘Cut him,'” he joked.

White then burst out laughing before making it clear he wasn’t serious.

“I’m f—— joking. Yes, I have no problems with Joaquin Buckley,” he added.

Dana White’s comments should put the brakes on any talk of ‘New Mansa’ being in hot water with the UFC boss. The welterweight had already given fans plenty to talk about before the fight even began. First came the cold shoulder to White at the ceremonial weigh-ins, followed by an even weirder moment during an official UFC interview, where the 32-year-old said absolutely nothing and simply stared straight into the camera.

The bizarre behavior had fans split. Some figured Joaquin Buckley was just trying to get into fight mode and block out the noise, while others wondered why he’d risk snubbing the very guy who runs the show.

For ‘New Mansa,’ though, the handshake drama is the least of his worries right now. The No. 8-ranked welterweight was desperate to get back in the win column after losses to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady, but his comeback attempt against No. 11-ranked Mike Malott went horribly wrong.

Instead of getting his title hopes back on track, Joaquin Buckley ended up on the wrong end of a brutal highlight-reel finish in front of Mike Malott’s home crowd. He caught Buckley with a counterright hand before absolutely blasting him with a vicious knee to the face.

The impact sent the 32-year-old’s mouthpiece flying across the Octagon as he crumpled face-first onto the canvas, forcing the referee to step in. It was a statement win for Malott, who suddenly became one of the biggest names coming out of UFC Edmonton.

And here’s where things get interesting. Dana White has a history of opening his wallet when a fighter beats someone who’s been getting under his skin. So, with Buckley having snubbed his handshake before the fight, could Malott end up getting a little extra love from the UFC boss?

There’s a precedent for it. Back at the UFC 84 weigh-ins, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz showed up wearing a shirt that read “Dana is my B—h” amid a heated contract dispute with the promotion. White wasn’t exactly thrilled with the stunt, but when Lyoto Machida beat Ortiz by unanimous decision the following night, the UFC boss decided to reward him with something extra.

Speaking to Los Angeles radio personality Big Boy, White revealed that he had “actually wrote (Machida) a personal check” for beating Ortiz. Machida later confirmed the story to MMAFighting.com, admitting that the unexpected payday caught him off guard.

“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.”

Could Malott be next in line for a Dana White bonus? It’s certainly fun to speculate, especially after that vicious knockout, but there’s no confirmation that the UFC CEO plans to hand him a similar reward.

For now, Dana White has made one thing clear: despite all the chatter surrounding that awkward handshake, he has no personal beef with Buckley.

What would have happened if Dana White had cut Joaquin Buckley?

Even if Dana White had actually been serious about cutting Joaquin Buckley, the welterweight wouldn’t necessarily have been short of options. The knockout artist had already been eyeing opportunities outside the MMA cage, and he wanted to explore them without having to walk away from his UFC contract.

Speaking to Full Send MMA before UFC Edmonton, ‘New Mansa’ made it clear that he was interested in testing himself in striking-focused combat sports, where he could put his hands and kicks to work without worrying about the usual MMA mix of wrestling and grappling.

“I would love the opportunity to do other things outside of MMA,” he said.

Buckley even had a few promotions in mind. The welterweight named Dirty Boxing, Karate Combat, and Zuffa Boxing as potential destinations where he could put his striking skills to work without having to focus on the full MMA package.

Dirty Boxing, founded by former UFC fighter Mike Perry, offers its own hybrid striking format, Karate Combat brings full-contact karate to the table, and Zuffa Boxing is Dana White’s boxing venture tied to the UFC’s broader combat sports business.

For the 32-year-old, the appeal was pretty simple: why not cash in on what he does best? Rather than spreading his focus across wrestling, grappling, and every other aspect of MMA, he could step into striking-only competition and make the most of his knockout power.

“But imagine if I’m able to work on my strengths and get paid for it? And I truly believe, like, you know, places like Dirty Boxing and Karate Combat, you know what I mean? Or doing something like Zuffa Boxing would be a really great opportunity for an individual like me,” Buckley said.

A UFC release could have opened another door for ‘New Mansa,’ too: Misfits Boxing. Just look at Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who signed a three-fight deal with the promotion after leaving the UFC and claimed the agreement paid him more than twice what he earned during his entire six-fight UFC run.

That’s a pretty eye-catching difference and shows why some fighters might be tempted to explore opportunities outside the Octagon. Whether Buckley could land a similar payday, though, is anyone’s guess.

Joaquin Buckley has already dipped his toes into other combat sports. In August, he squared off against former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a freestyle wrestling match at RAF 12, ultimately losing on points. It wasn’t the result he wanted, but it showed that Buckley isn’t afraid to step outside his usual comfort zone and try something different.

Still, there’s a big difference between exploring other sports and walking away from the UFC. MMA remains Joaquin Buckley’s main game, and the promotion offers a global platform, big-name opponents, and a shot at the welterweight title. His recent losses have certainly made that climb tougher, but leaving the UFC would be a massive career move.

As things stand, though, the 32-year-old doesn’t appear to have a Dana White problem. The UFC boss has publicly shut down the idea that he’s holding a grudge over the handshake snub, making it clear that his talk of cutting Buckley was nothing more than a joke.

The loss to Malott still hurts, and Joaquin Buckley has plenty of work to do if he wants to get his title ambitions back on track. But for now, his UFC future isn’t under threat simply because he refused to shake the boss’s hand.