Joaquin Buckley and Colby Covington headlined the UFC Tampa fight card, the final main event of 2024.
Buckley emerged victorious in the third round after dominating Covington, leading the doctor to intervene and stop the fight.
SIX in a row for @NewMansa94 👏#UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/FCbAqtSsod
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2024
“I know we spilled a little love, I know you guys wanted to see a knockout,” Buckley said after the fight, expressing regret for not knocking out Covington. He then suggested three names to the audience and asked them to choose, with former champion Kamaru Usman receiving the loudest cheers.
Early in the fight, Buckley cut Covington and successfully defended against Covington’s takedown attempts. Despite an effort from Covington, Buckley maintained control and even scored a significant knockdown as the round ended.
In the second round, Covington attempted to regain control by becoming aggressive. However, Buckley managed to defend against Covington’s attacks and continued to cause damage. The round ended with Buckley likely in the lead.
THE CUT OVER COLBY COVINGTON'S EYE 🤯 #UFCTAMPA pic.twitter.com/cW9TakY3Qn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024
As the fight progressed, the doctor advised Covington to protect a cut over his eye, warning that the fight could be stopped if the cut worsened. Buckley demonstrated dominance with a flurry of strikes and eventually secured a TKO victory when the doctor intervened due to the severity of the cut.
Due to a Doctor's Stoppage Joaquin Buckley wins by TKO.#UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/rj6iEjNFkK
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2024
Covington, returning to the Octagon after a year, aimed to recover from his previous loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296. In contrast, Buckley entered the fight on a five-fight win streak, with notable victories over Stephen Thompson, Nursulton Ruziboev, and Vicente Luque.
