Colby Covington‘s fight against Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa was stopped due to a severe cut over his eye that impaired his vision, prompting Chael Sonnen, his cornerman, to consider stopping the fight himself despite Covington’s resilience and toughness throughout the match.
Colby Covington’s cut at UFC Tampa was so severe that Chael Sonnen, his friend and cornerman, was ready to halt the fight against Joaquin Buckley if officials didn’t intervene.
Covington endured a tough night as Buckley dominated for over two rounds. An early gash worsened with each moment, and by the third round, blood was streaming into Covington’s eye. Even Sonnen thought it was time to stop.
“The doctor checked the cut three times,” Sonnen shared on YouTube. “Twice he let it continue. The third time, he stopped it. I was about to throw in the towel. Watching that blood pour into the eye—it’s serious business.”
Sonnen explained, “As fans, we don’t mind cuts unless they affect vision. If a fighter’s blinded, whether it’s a small cut or large, it’s all the same.”
After the fight ended, Covington barely waited for the decision before leaving the octagon. Meanwhile, Buckley celebrated his victory.
At the press conference, UFC CEO Dana White suggested that in Nevada, the fight might have continued. But Sonnen disagreed, supporting the stoppage.
“It was bad,” Sonnen insisted. “The cut was in the eye. I told Charlie to hand me the towel—I was ready to stop it myself.”
Despite the stoppage, Sonnen praised Covington’s toughness against Buckley, who unleashed powerful shots throughout.
Covington struggled offensively except for a second-round takedown, which Buckley quickly countered by getting back on his feet.
Sonnen wished things had gone differently due to Covington’s conditioning and relentless pace, which often overwhelms opponents.
“I thought we were down both rounds,” Sonnen noted. “But one judge had it 1-1. Not here to debate that; just felt momentum shifting. Buckley admitted feeling fatigue.”
“Buckley did nothing wrong,” Sonnen added. “He needs to learn how to manage energy for longer fights. He’s great with media—he’ll be headlining events soon.”
Scorecards showed Covington trailing 20-18 across all judges before the third round began similarly to prior rounds.
Regardless of the result, Sonnen applauded Covington’s heart and resilience against Buckley’s best punches.
“Colby never flinched,” Sonnen said. “Never stepped back or went down from a punch—only slipped once.”
“On grit-meter,” he continued, “this ranks high for Colby. While not replacing his bout with Kamaru Usman, it’s close. He took damage but remained unfazed.”