TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley face off prior to … [+] a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
Joaquin Buckley extended his UFC welterweight winning streak to six in a row with a dominant TKO win over three-time UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Tampa fight card from Amalie Arena. As for Covington, the ex-interim UFC champ is on the first losing skid of his career after dropping a title tilt to Leon Edwards in December 2023. Covington entered the UFC Tampa as the No. 6 ranked fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings, while Buckley was No. 9 in the division. Expect Buckley to rise to at least N. 6 following the results from the UFC Tampa event.
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley Round 1
Buckley entered Saturday’s fight card as the -225 betting favorite over Covington, who was a +185 betting underdog. The betting pick heading into the contest was Buckley to win via knockout.
Covington, who fights out of Florida, had the crowd behind him to start the fight, but the chants for Covington died out quickly thanks to Buckley’s striking acumen.
Covington has never been known as a striker, and the difference on the feet between Covington, who has four career knockouts (one being a TKO rib injury stoppage), and Buckley, who had 14 KOs before UFC Tampa, was evident early.
Covington’s striking was there to stay busy and set up takedown attempts. Meanwhile, Buckley looked to end the fight with his power, output, and shot selection. The problem for Covington was that he had no answer for Buckley’s striking, and his early takedown attempts were few and telegraphed.
Not only were Covington’s takedown attempts slow and telegraphed, but his attempts to move forward and use his striking to get the clinch was also slow. That approach allowed Buckley to tag Covington and move back without giving his opponent the positioning he was searching for.
Buckley mixed up his targets and techniques while applying pressure and throwing effective combinations. throughout the round. Buckley threw his strikes with power but did not overthrow, which showed that he was ready for a long fight and that while he was looking to score, he wasn’t searching for a knockout with every punch. However, he was looking for damage and scoring, which he found.
At the end of the first five minutes, Covington’s significant striking percentage was a measly 19 percent, going 10 for 51, while Buckley went 23 for 55 with a fight-low 41 percent effectiveness. Buckley had also opened a nasty cut above Covington’s right eye.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: (L-R) Joaquin Buckley punches Colby Covington in a welterweight fight … [+] during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley Round 2
Covington was more active in opening the second round, throwing short punches and pressuring while looking to drop for a takedown. However, his first takedown attempt of the round was ill-advised as Covington shot while close to the fence. That position of Covington’s takedown attempt allowed Buckley to sprawl and put Covington against the cage. Buckley’s situational awareness allowed him to score with a knee to the body and a flurry of strikes.
After that, Buckley seemed more careful about positioning, doing his best to keep the action in the open while not allowing Covington to close in and work from the clinch. Buckley also did a fantastic job of working the body with his strikes, which seemed to sap some of the cardio from his foe, who had been known for his gas tank and ability to keep attacking over five rounds.
Covington secured his first takedown, and only takedown of the fight, against the fence with 3:30 left in the second round. However, Buckley was active on the bottom, which prevented Covington from racking up the short strikes he had been known for. Covington kept Buckley on the mat for less than 90 seconds without doing any damage or scoring.
Buckley was a little slower with his striking attacks after the takedown, but he still landed with power and effectiveness, especially with his jab for the remainder of the second stanza.
When the second round ended, Covington had landed 19 of 51 significant strikes (38 percent), while Buckley went 28 for 55 for a 50 percent landing rate.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: (R-L) Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley trade punches in a … [+] welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley Round 3
Between the second and third rounds, the cage-side doctor told referee Dan Miragliotta that she would not let the fight go much further. The cut Covington suffered in the first round was in a terrible spot, right above Covington’s eye. The ref then told Covington, “You heard her. You gotta protect that eye.” Miragliotta repeated that warning before starting the action.
To open the third stanza, Covington shot another takedown with no setup, which seemed like a sign of either desperation or fatigue. The ex-interim champ paid for his hubris with Buckley coming up and landing body shots before returning to fighing at distance, showcasing power, speed, and shot selection.
Another failed sloppy takedown briefly put Covington on the ground. When the combatants stood, Buckley kept Covington against the cage, unloading strikes, opening the cut around his eye, and looking to finish his tired and depleted foe.
A third sloppy and slow takedown attempt followed, and Covington looked defeated when Buckley looked for openings to score with his strikes while also looking for a submission on the mat. Covington scored a reversal with less than two minutes left in the third round, but Buckley was controlling the posture of his opponent, who looked to land short strikes while covering Buckley in his blood. Buckley’s defense negated any scoring Covington hoped to do in that position with his short strikes.
With 18 seconds left, after the fighters got back to their feet, Miragliotta called the doctor back into the cage to look at Covington’s eye. She quickly stopped the action, telling the ref, “He’s going to lose this eyelid.”
The striking stats for the third round were again in Buckley’s favor. He landed 24 of 41 significant strikes (58 percent), while Covington went eight for 23 (34 percent)
The official ending of the contest came at 4:42 of the third round.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: Colby Covington is checked by the doctor during a welterweight fight … [+] against Joaquin Buckley during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley – Dana White reacts
“No doubt that was a bad cut but that fight doesn’t get stopped in Vegas,” White said at the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference. “That fight keeps going in Vegas. 100 percent.”
“Listen, Colby’s an older guy that fights every once in a while,” White added. “He’s always durable and he’s always tough, like I just said. Did you hear the body shots he was getting hit with tonight? And the head shots he took? That stuff would have stopped other guys. Colby’s tough, but I also feel like Colby wasn’t too pissed that fight got stopped by the cut. The cut was definitely bothering him.
“He’s obviously still one of the top ranked guys. What we were saying about him all night, took big shots, stayed in there, the cut was obviously bothering him but I also believe if that fight’s in Vegas, that fight doesn’t get stopped with that cut. But I don’t think that Colby was very upset when it did [get stopped]. It was bothering him.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: Colby Covington looks on against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight … [+] fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley – Dana White on Joaquin Buckley
“Listen, you go in and beat Colby Covington, it’s a big deal,” White said. “Love him or hate him, [Colby Covington is] a dog, (expletive) tough as nails. Took big shots to the body tonight. Took big shots to the head that would have knocked a lot of people out. Colby’s durable and tough but when you get cut, anything can happen.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 14: Joaquin Buckley reacts after a TKO victory against Colby Covington in … [+] a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
UFC Tampa Results: Covington vs. Buckley – Buckley calls out Kamaru Usman
After the UFC Tampa results were read, Buckley called out former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who is the No. 3 ranked UFC fighter at 170 pounds.
