Joaquin Buckley and Colby Covington headlined the UFC Tampa struggle card, the ultimate important occasion of 2024.
Buckley was declared the winner within the third spherical after battering Covington to items, forcing the physician to step in to wave off the struggle.
SIX in a row for @NewMansa94 👏#UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/FCbAqtSsod
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2024
“I do know we spilled a bit of love, I do know you guys needed to see a knockout,” Buckley stated after the struggle apologizing for not KOing Covington. He supplied three names to the gang and requested them to select, the gang cheered the loudest for former champion Kamaru Usman.
Early within the first spherical, Buckley minimize Covington after which defended Covington’s takedown makes an attempt. Buckley made Covington look weak of their alternate’s first 5 minutes with Covington controlling Buckley for just below 30 seconds of the spherical. Buckley ended the spherical with an enormous knockdown and was saved by the bell.
Within the second spherical, Covington got here out swinging wanting to take again management of the struggle. Buckley defends the takedown once more and flurries on Covington who has a badly broken eye. Lastly with three minutes remaining Covington lastly acquired the takedown and was in a position to maintain Buckley towards the fence. With one other two minutes remaining, Buckley acquired again to his toes and the hanging sport was again on. They ended the struggle on their toes, a better spherical but it surely was in all probability nonetheless a Buckley spherical.
THE CUT OVER COLBY COVINGTON'S EYE 🤯 #UFCTAMPA pic.twitter.com/cW9TakY3Qn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024
The physician warned Covington between rounds to guard the minimize as he did not see permitting the struggle to go on if it acquired any worse. Inside seconds Buckley landed large flurris after which it was him on prime of Covington on the canvas. Again to the toes, they’re swinging once more. Covington has blood throughout his face from the injury that Buckley inflicted. Buckley will get him right into a triangle choke however all of the blood permits Covington to slide out. Covington takes prime management within the ultimate minute however he is not actually doing a lot injury or placing Buckley in any hazard. With simply seconds remaining the physician stepped in to name the struggle off because of the minimize to Covington’s eyelid.
On account of a Physician's Stoppage Joaquin Buckley wins by TKO.#UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/rj6iEjNFkK
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2024
Covington was making his return to the Octagon after a 12 months hiatus. The previous interim title holder and multiple-time title challenger was seeking to rebound from his UFC 296 loss to Leon Edwards. He is gone win-loss, win-loss since defeating Robbie Lawler in 2019.
Buckley was entering into the largest struggle of his profession so far. He went into the struggle on a five-fight win streak with current victories over Stephen Thompson, Nursulton Ruziboev, and Vicente Luque.
