Joaquin Buckley, UFC Tampa ceremonial weigh-ins on the Amalie Area, Dec. 13, 2024 Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
The UFC closed out their 2024 calendar with a bang. The promotion’s fourth-ever journey to Tampa, Florida delivered an entertaining occasion with seven knockouts, six selections and an entire bunch of highlights. As we sit up for 2025, let’s see what matchups ought to be subsequent for the winners from UFC Tampa this previous Saturday.
Joaquin Buckley
This was by far the largest struggle of Buckley’s profession to this point, and the lights weren’t too vibrant for him. In his first ever principal occasion, “New Mansa” prolonged his win streak to 6 with a third-round physician’s stoppage over Colby Covington. This win ought to push him close to, or perhaps even contained in the top5 within the subsequent rankings replace.
In his post-fight interview, Buckley referred to as out three names and let the viewers determine his subsequent opponent by way of an “applause-o-meter.” Of the three names he referred to as out, champion Belal Muhammad makes the least quantity of sense except Shavkat Rakhmonov is out for a protracted interval. The opposite two have been former champions Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. Edwards, who is alleged to headline the London Combat Evening card on March 22, wants an opponent. Buckley has been lively and needs it to stay that approach, so a turnaround in late March shouldn’t be too fast for him, contemplating he took a negligible quantity of injury from Covington.
Buckley’s subsequent struggle: Leon Edwards
Cub Swanson
“Killer” Cub’s beautiful one hitter quitter KO over Billy Quarantillo within the UFC Tampa co-main was harking back to Robbie Lawler’s KO of Niko Value in his retirement struggle. It needs to be one of many higher methods a fighter can dream to retire… if he does retire. The long-time veteran and fan-favourite Swanson has been hinting at an imminent retirement for his previous couple of fights however appeared reluctant to totally decide to it. This Saturday was no completely different as he refused to take off his gloves and make it official.
If he does have another in him, there may be an age-appropriate matchup on the market for him. Swanson has referred to as for a struggle with Urijah Faber previously and Faber appeared up for it. He could also be 45 and with out a struggle booked since 2019, however Faber has been staying in form with some grappling matches right here and there, together with two this 12 months. Plus, the UFC nonetheless has him listed as an “active” fighter on their roster.
Let the person with the “SoCal” tattoo on his chest struggle “The California Kid” and let’s do it in California.
Swanson’s subsequent struggle: Urijah Faber
Manel Kape
“Starboy” lived as much as his nickname and placed on his finest efficiency but within the UFC on Saturday. He styled on Bruno Silva for 2 rounds earlier than placing him away within the third regardless of taking a number of low blows. He then referred to as for a title shot, hoping this efficiency would launch to the highest of queue. With the blurry title image at flyweight, he’s in all probability only one extra struggle away from it.
Nevertheless, he’s nonetheless only one struggle faraway from the very disappointing Muhammad Mokaev bout. Additionally, with Deiveison Figueiredo now seeking to throw his identify into the hat, 125 might need extra choices than we thought.
Kai Kara-France can be proper there with Kape as contenders subsequent line. They have been as soon as booked towards one another, there may be unhealthy blood, and the struggle now makes extra sense than ever. Allow them to go at it to find out which of the 2 actually deserve their crack on the title.
Kape’s subsequent struggle: Kai Kara-France
Dustin Jacoby
In a struggle that had the followers booing attributable to its lack of motion, Dustin Jacoby put Vitor Petrino out chilly at UFC Tampa with a proper hand similar to the one Kamaru Usman slept Jorge Masvidal with. This sort of win was simply what the physician ordered for Jacoby who had misplaced his earlier two fights and got here into this one 1-4 in his final 5.
When it comes to rankings and meritocracy, the winner of Ion Cutelaba and Ibo Aslan in Seattle makes quite a lot of sense. Selfishly, I’d prefer to see Jacoby face Artem Vakhitov. Each are former Glory kickboxers however have by no means confronted one another. Vakhitov is most recognized for being the final particular person to defeat Alex Pereira in kickboxing. If the UFC is seeking to replicate the storyline that they created between Pereira and Israel Adesanya, giving Vakhitov a debut towards a kickboxer proper outdoors the rankings won’t be a foul concept.
Jacoby’s subsequent struggle: Artem Vakhitov
Daniel Marcos
Regardless of Marcos’ 4 UFC wins, a cut up determination over Adrian Yanez at UFC Tampa won’t be sufficient to get him a ranked opponent attributable to how stacked with expertise the division is. The undefeated Marcos turns 32 in March and I contemplate Yanez a high quality win, so I’m prepared to throw him towards ranked opposition.
Kyler Phillips hit a roadblock towards Rob Font this previous October, so it will make sense for him to face somebody outdoors the rankings. Thus, Marcos is a wise opponent and the matchup itself ought to make an entertaining struggle.
Marcos’ subsequent struggle: Kyler Phillips
Navajo Stirling
Navajo Stirling closed as a close to 10-to-1 betting favorite and whereas he did present some promise, he additionally confirmed he’s nonetheless very inexperienced. At 6-0 and after simply turning 27 in November, there’s a case to be made that he perhaps shouldn’t be within the UFC this early into his profession. Although, being this younger at light-heavyweight isn’t the tip the world since heavier weight courses are inclined to age slowly. The promotion ought to be in no hurry to push him up the ladder.
With Stirling firmly within the UFC, he ought to be matchmade for as if he have been nonetheless on the regional scene. When Carlos Ulberg, one other Metropolis Kickboxing product, misplaced his debut, the UFC spent his subsequent 5 fights matching him up towards the decrease tier of the division. Tuco Tokkos was an ideal opponent for his debut, and Ozzy Diaz is precisely the kind of opponent Stirling ought to get subsequent.
Stirling’s subsequent struggle: Ozzy Diaz
