Colby Covington returns to the UFC on December 14 to fight Joaquin Buckley after a nearly year-long absence, stepping in as a short-notice replacement, while Buckley aims for a title shot with a win.
Colby Covington is back. Yep, you heard that right.
On December 14, after nearly a year out of the cage, Covington returns to face Joaquin Buckley. The UFC just dropped the official fight poster for the event on Friday. It’s Covington’s 10th UFC fight poster, while Buckley is only on his second. Quite the contrast, huh?
Check it out: “Official Poster #UFCTampa (Vertical, Landscape & IG version)” tweeted Marcel Dorff on November 22, 2024. You can find the tweet with a quick search if you’re curious.
Covington’s no stranger to titles; he was an interim welterweight champ in 2018 but got stripped soon after. His last outing? A unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December—his third shot at the undisputed title. Originally, Covington wasn’t even supposed to be on this card. He stepped in last minute when Ian Machado Garry got moved to UFC 310 to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov.
As for Buckley, he’s been busy shifting weight classes. After mostly fighting at middleweight, he dropped to 170 pounds last year. Seems like a smart move—he’s won five straight since then! His latest victory? A knockout against Stephen Thompson at UFC 307 in October. Now ranked No. 9 in the welterweight division, a win over Covington could catapult him into title contention.
Curious about the rest of the UFC Tampa lineup? Here it is:
– Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley
– Amanda Ribas vs. Mackenzie Dern
– Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Drakkar Klose will clash with Joel Alvarez, and Michael Johnson faces Ottman Azaitar. Plus, Miranda Maverick battles Jamey-Lyn Horth and Dustin Jacoby takes on Vitor Petrino.
The card continues with Piera Rodriguez against Josefine Knutsson and Navajo Stirling versus Tuco Tokkos. Davey Grant meets Ramon Taveras, while Manel Kape fights Bruno Silva.
Finally, Sean Woodson squares off with Fernando Padilla; Daniel Marcos faces Adrian Yanez; and Miles Johns takes on Felipe Lima.
Mark your calendars—it promises to be a night full of action!