Colby Covington disputes the legitimacy of his TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa, attributing the outcome to a doctor stoppage due to a cut he believes was caused by a headbutt, and asserts that he would have prevailed if the fight continued.
Colby Covington doesn’t view his recent defeat as a genuine loss. The official result of the UFC Tampa main event was a TKO win for Joaquin Buckley due to a doctor stoppage. Buckley landed heavy punches, causing a severe cut over Covington’s right eye early in the fight. By Round 3, blood covered Covington’s face, prompting a ringside physician to halt the bout.
UFC CEO Dana White later remarked that if the fight were in Las Vegas, it might not have been stopped. In a behind-the-scenes clip on Covington’s YouTube channel, the three-time UFC title challenger agreed with White while getting stitched up. “That’s what I’m going to say, too,” he said. “Bullshit. It was building, a five-round fight.”
Covington later cited the short notice of the fight as a factor in his performance. He stepped in on a month’s notice after Ian Machado Garry was reassigned to another bout. Despite the circumstances, Covington felt Buckley wasn’t close to finishing him off.
“We’re going to be back stronger than ever,” Covington stated confidently. “This is just the beginning for me.” He mentioned coming off the couch but did it for the company he loves dearly. “I know there’s still a lot of fight in me and the best is yet to come.”
In his view, the match was evenly tied at 1-1 before it was stopped. Covington noticed Buckley starting to tire and believed he was gaining momentum. Even Dana White suggested that in Vegas, the fight wouldn’t have been stopped so soon.
Curiously, it’s not entirely clear which strike caused the cut on Covington’s forehead. He speculated that a head clash might have been responsible for ending the fight prematurely.
Though Buckley now boasts a six-fight win streak, Covington doesn’t feel he was truly defeated by him. “We came in close contact, and I felt like there was a headbutt,” he explained. With blurred vision and seeing triple, Covington struggled but kept fighting for the fans.
“I’ve had way worse in fights than a little cut over my eye,” he lamented about the doctor’s decision to stop it. If they were in Vegas, he believes the fight would’ve continued and turned in his favor during championship rounds.
Chael Sonnen, also a three-time UFC title contender, supported Covington from his corner at Amalie Arena. He praised Covington’s resilience and noted that Round 3 saw momentum shifting.
“Your kicks were on point tonight,” Sonnen told him afterward. Despite taking hard shots, Covington pressed forward undeterred. Sonnen commended his takedowns and ability to work through tough situations.
“It was great; everything was going great,” Sonnen affirmed, refusing to accept the result as legitimate. “That does not count, I do not accept that, not at all, man.”