Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley, UFC Tampa ceremonial weigh-ins on the Amalie Area, Dec. 13, 2024 Credit score: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Colby Covington regarded to re-establish his relevance, whereas Joaquin Buckley was in quest of the largest win of his profession in the primary occasion of UFC Tampa on Saturday. The previous interim champion got here into this combat because the betting underdog regardless of having by no means misplaced on a UFC Struggle Evening in his profession (8-0).
Covington was stepping in to switch Ian Machado Garry, who had shifted to UFC 310 final week in a combat with Shavkat Rakhmonov. With Covington, got here his common model of “Chaos,” a nickname that he has grown into because of the deluge of trash speak he tends to unleash forward of each combat. This outing, it was P. Diddy allegations lodged at NBA star LeBron James, and terrorist references lobbed in the direction of welterweight champ Belal Muhammad.
On Buckley, Covington was maybe unusually quiet; he even introduced Chael Sonnen with him to the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday, letting one of many sport’s greatest talkers take to the mic for him. Sonnen opted to stay to combat hype, maybe saving Covington from additional embarrassment. Covington, who had overvalued his entrance throughout combat week, walked out with Sonnen and Hulk Hogan carrying an American flag by his aspect.
Buckley got here out placing quick strain and establishing his jab early. He landed a pleasant low kick to one-two mixture. The primary takedown try from Colby was simply stuffed. A reduce on Covington’s proper eye lid clearly began to hassle him. Buckley took benefit and threw extra combos coming ahead. They had been each throwing looping photographs, however Buckley was getting the higher of those exchanges. Covington shot a double-leg, switched to single-leg, however Buckley utterly outmuscled him. He then caught Covington mid-headkick with a proper hook and ends the spherical touchdown ground-and-pound.
Buckley sprawled on one other takedown try and landed an excellent knee to the physique on his means up within the early moments of spherical 2. He stored attacking Colby’s physique with hooks, stopping him from pushing his common tempo. Fourth time was the allure for Covington as he lastly received Buckley to the bottom and took aspect management. Buckley tried to get to a hip and submit on one arm, however Colby did an excellent job of controlling his wrists to remove his steadiness. Buckley ultimately did get again up and received again to profitable the hanging battle as Colby’s reduce was clearly hampering his potential to see oncoming strikes. A extra aggressive 5 minutes, however primarily based on injury, a Buckley spherical nonetheless.
Because the third spherical was about to start out, we may hear the octagon-side physician telling referee Dan Miragliotta to maintain a detailed take a look at the reduce over Covington’s proper eye. The spherical began with a right away telegraphed takedown try from “Chaos” that was simply seen from distant. Buckley stored mixing up physique and head strikes and the buildup grounded Covington.
Buckley received full mount, however not for lengthy as Colby received again to his toes. By this level Covington’s face is an entire mess and for the reason that blood is evidently obstructing his view, Buckley can not miss together with his punches. The combat received the bottom once more and Buckley received prime place, however an ill-advised again take try resulted in an uncommon triangle try from him that Covington received out of. With Colby on prime and Buckley accepting full guard, Colby landed little ground-and-pound photographs attempting to grind away at Buckley’s fuel tank. As soon as Buckley received to the fence and received again up, referee Dan Miragliotta referred to as time for the physician to take a better take a look at Covington’s reduce. The physician suggested Miragliotta to cease it, and he did.
Physician stoppages typically really feel anti-climactic, however with a reduce on the attention lid that was clearly having a giant impact on the combat, it was a justified stoppage.
Official Outcome: Joaquin Buckley def. Colby Covington by Physician’s Stoppage (Spherical 3, 4:42)
