Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley is the fight that will headline the final UFC event of 2024. Titled UFC on ESPN 63, the event will take place in Tampa (hence the alternative name, UFC Tampa). This is going to be the first time in five years that the UFC is heading to this Floridian city.
Colby Covington should feel at home in Tampa as he already resides in Florida (albeit in Miami), but the problem is that he hasn’t had much time to prepare for the fight. The thing is that he stepped in to replace Joaquin Buckley’s original, Ian Machado Garry, after the Irishman got to fight a title eliminator fight at UFC 310.
| Moneyline | Odds |
| Colby Covington | +215 |
| Joaquin Buckley | -260 |
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When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
- Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
Can Colby Covington Upset the Odds?
Colby Covington is the 6th best welterweight in the UFC and has a 17-4 overall record. “Chaos” is Donald Trump’s favorite MMA fighter, which is why some fans think he’s getting special treatment from the UFC boss, Dana White. For example, he was given three shots at the UFC Welterweight title but failed to win gold each time.
Despite losing three of his last five fights and winning the other two by decision and technical knockout (after his opponent got injured), he’s still sitting very high in the divisional rankings. And he’ll probably go even higher than the 6th place if he beats Joaquin Buckley on December 14.
So, can he beat him? Well, Covington is a very well-rounded martial artist who can do well against any type of fighter. He was a successful college wrestler in the past and was even the world champion in submission grappling.
He also has pretty decent striking skills, as well as a great gas tank. Covington will need to make use of those if he wants to beat Buckley, who’s one of the best kickboxers in the division.
Reasons Why Joaquin Buckley Is Favored to Win on December 14
Joaquin Buckley is 20-6 overall, with 14 wins by knockout/technical knockout. One of those was the KO win over Impa Kasanganay, which is thought of as one of the greatest KOs ever.
Buckley is coming to Florida after winning five fights in a row. The fighters he defeated over that period are all incredible strikers – Andre Fialho, Alex Morono, Vicente Luque, Nursulton Ruziboev, and Stephen Thompson.
He was supposed to fight another incredible striker on December 16 – Ian Machado Garry. However, the UFC shuffled things around, the result of which is that “New Mansa” will fight against one of the best grapplers/wrestlers in the UFC.
His takedown defense is 69%, and he’s got no losses by submission in his portfolio. However, he also hasn’t fought against such a dangerous opponent as Covington.
Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley Prediction
Our prediction is that Colby Covington will win the UFC Tampa main event. He’s a much more well-rounded fighter than anyone Joaquin Buckley’s fought before.
Plus, this is a five-round fight, something Colby’s used to – each of his seven fights was a five-rounder (with four of those going the distance).
Meanwhile, Buckley has never stayed in the Octagon for longer than 15 minutes. And even that didn’t happen too often. In fact, only eight of his 26 fights lasted for the full three rounds.
Pick: Colby Covington
