On Saturday, December 14, the Dana White-led UFC wraps up an epic year with a stop in the Sunshine State. At UFC Tampa, former interim champion Colby Covington aims to bring the chaos back to the Octagon. Meanwhile, Joaquin Buckley looks to add another highlight-reel knockout to his resume.
Fans won’t want to miss this event—it’s the last one before the UFC takes a holiday break. Here’s a preview and prediction for the main event.
Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley Predictions
Let’s talk about Colby Covington—love him or hate him, there’s no denying he’s one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the game. Known for stirring the pot outside the cage, Chaos has proven his skills inside it time and again. One of his career highlights? His win over Jorge Masvidal was a fight that carried plenty of drama since the two went from best friends to bitter enemies.
But despite that iconic victory, Covington’s record has been rocky since 2019. He’s only managed one win, against Tyron Woodley, apart from the Masvidal fight, while falling short in three title fights. Most recently, he’s coming off a tough loss to Leon Edwards, making this fight a crucial moment to get back on track.
On the flip side, Joaquin Buckley has been on an absolute tear since his fight with Chris Curtis. Riding an impressive five-fight win streak, Buckley has been dominating his opponents and showing why he’s a force to be reckoned with.
His highlight reel includes shocking upsets over Vicente Luque and Nursulton Ruziboev, but it’s his last fight that really turned heads. Buckley delivered an unforgettable performance, taking on Stephen Thompson and finishing Wonderboy with a brutal knockout in the third round.
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Safe to say, Buckley’s momentum is at an all-time high heading into this showdown. While Covington, currently navigating a rough patch in his career, is facing a serious threat in Joaquin Buckley. However, Covington has proven his grit and skill in the past and certainly has the tools to turn things around, but with Buckley riding high on his five-fight win streak, it’s looking like New Mansa might add another big win to his resume.
How To Watch UFC Tampa?
For fight night, the action kicks off with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, followed by the main card live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Beyond the main event, the card is packed with unmissable fights that are sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Main Card
- Colby Covington vs. Jaoquin Buckley
- Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo
- Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
- Vitor Petrino vs. Dustin Jacoby
- Adrian Yanez vs. Daniel Marcos
- Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
Prelims
- Michael Johnson vs. Ottman Azaitar
- Joel Alvarez vs. Drakkar Klose
- Sean Woodson vs. Fernando Padilla
- Miles Johns vs. Felipe Lima
- Miranda Maverick vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
- Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras
- Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ in the USA, TNT Sports in the UK, Sony Sports Network in India, and UFC Fight Pass for the rest of the world.
Also Read: Colby Covington Says He Can’t Respect Kamaru Usman For Being A Cheater
