Joaquin Buckley established himself as a strong contender for the welterweight title (up to 77kg) by defeating Colby Covington in the main event of UFC Tampa , this Saturday (14). Despite being behind in the division rankings, the American showed why he was the favorite in the betting houses and won by technical knockout in the third round.
In the first round, Buckley used his physical advantage to thwart Covington's takedown attempts. The young fighter demonstrated agility as he moved around the octagon, landing precise sequences of punches and kicks. In the early exchanges, Covington suffered a small cut on his right eyelid, which would become a decisive factor and would remain with him until the end of the fight.
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In the second round, the controversial 'Chaos' tried to react by trying to take the fight to the ground. However, Buckley managed to get up quickly and regained control of the fight. The punishment imposed by the young fighter continued until the third round, when, in the final minute, the referee stopped the fight. The decision was confirmed by the doctor in charge, who declared the end of the fight to preserve Covington's physical integrity, since the cut had worsened, leaving the octagon covered in blood.
With the victory, Joaquin Buckley reached an impressive 21 career wins, 15 of them by knockout. Undefeated in the welterweight division, he now has six consecutive wins. On the other hand, Colby Covington suffered his second consecutive defeat and hasn't won since March 2022.
In the post-fight interview, Buckley was asked who he would like to face next. Without limiting himself to a single name, the fighter mentioned three options to test the crowd's reaction: Leon Edwards , Kamaru Usman , and the current champion, Belal Muhammad.
Check out the best moments of Joaquin Buckley vs. Colby Covington
Buckley scores a knockdown in the first round
A powerful punch at the very end of the first round! #UFCTampa | Take advantage of the 50% discount on the annual @UFCFightPassBR plan and watch all UFC fights in 2025! Subscribe at: https://t.co/iY6lrbUURF . pic.twitter.com/JqXWwfKFp1
— UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) December 15, 2024
Buckley lands a blow and provokes Covington
Buckley taunts Colby Covington at the end of the round #UFCFightNight #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/XZaql7bHEP
— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) December 15, 2024
Referee declares end of fight
Joaquin Buckley defeats Colby Covington after doctors stop the fight due to a cut above Covington's eye. #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/HKsz39x8VF
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024
Joaquin Buckley Asks Fans for Help Decide His Next Opponent in Post-Fight Interview
Joaquin Buckley Post Fight Interview After Whooping Colby Covington #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/rQpgUzLj4W
— Kimura Juiceman (@KimuraJuiceman) December 15, 2024
Check out all the results from UFC Tampa
MAIN CARD
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Joaquin Buckley defeated Colby Covington by technical knockout (medical stoppage) at 4:42 of round 3.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Cub Swanson defeated Billy Quarantillo at 1:35 of Round 3.
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Manel Kape defeated Bruno Bulldoguinho by technical knockout at 1:57 of round 3.
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Dustin Jacoby defeated Vitor Petrino by knockout at 3:44 of round 3.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Daniel Marcos defeated Adrian Yanez by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Navajo Stirling defeated George Tokkos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Michael Johnson defeated Ottman Azaitar by knockout at 2:3 of round 2.
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Joel Alvarez defeated Drakkar Klose by knockout at 2:48 of round 1.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Sean Woodson defeated Fernando Padilla by technical knockout at 4:58 of round 1.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Felipe Lima defeated Miles Johns by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Miranda Maverick defeated Jamey-Lyn Horth by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Davey Grant defeated Ramon Taveras by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Piera Rodriguez defeated Josefine Knutsson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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