Joaquin Buckley announced himself as a genuine contender in the welterweight division after a dominant victory over former interim champion Colby Covington in the main event of a Fight Night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on the morning of Sunday 15 December.
Buckley won the contest via a third-round TKO, with the doctor stopping the fight due to a nasty cut above Covington’s right eye which was bleeding profusely from early on.
It was an anti-climactic end to a fight in which ‘New Mansa’ picked apart ‘Chaos’ with crisp and powerful striking, underlining his status as one of the rising stars in the division.
In his post-fight interview, the 30-year-old asked the crowd to help him choose his next opponent, cycling through Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman and champion Belal Muhammad – with the latter two prompting the loudest response.
“I think it’s Kamaru Usman, baby. Let’s go,” said Buckley, who has put together a six-fight win streak.
The rest of the main card saw veteran Cub Swanson sleep Billy Quarantillo in the third round of their featherweight co-main fight with a left-right combo; Angola’s Manel Kape put in a strong showing to defeat Bruno Silva via TKO and move closer to a flyweight title opportunity. Dustin Jacoby knocked out Vitor Petrino in the light heavyweight division; Daniel Marcos got the better of Adrian Yanez via split decision in a bantamweight battle; and Navajo Stirling outpointed Tuco Tokkos in the light heavyweight division.
The UFC will return in 2025, starting with a Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 12 January, headlined by a women’s strawweight clash between Amanda Ribas and Mackenzie Dern.
UFC Fight Night: Covington v Buckley – Main card results
- Main event: Welterweight: Joaquin Buckley def. Colby Covington v TKO (doctor’s stoppage), R3, 4:42
- Featherweight: Cub Swanson def. Billy Quarantillo via KO (punch), R3, 1:36
- Flyweight: Manel Kape def. Bruno Silva via TKO (body kick & punches), R3, 1:57
- Light heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby def. Vitor Petrino via KO (punch), R3, 3:44
- Bantamweight: Daniel Marcos def. Adrian Yanez via split decision (28-29 30-27 29-28), R3, 5:00
- Light heavyweight: Navajo Stirling def. Tuco Tokkos via unanimous decision (30-27 30-27 30-27), R3, 5:00