Buckley Stops Covington in UFC Tampa Main Event
Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley headlined UFC Fight Night in Tampa on December 14, 2024, in a welterweight matchup that paired Covington’s wrestling pressure with Buckley’s increasingly dangerous striking. The bout was scheduled for five rounds, but it ended in the third: Buckley won by TKO via doctor’s stoppage at 4:42 after a sharp, punishing performance, according to the UFC’s official results.
Buckley controlled the exchanges
Buckley established his striking early, landing clean punches and kicks while disrupting Covington’s first takedown attempts. Covington kept pressing and did have moments in the clinch and on the mat, but he struggled to build sustained offense. By the third round, the damage around Covington’s eye had become a concern, and the ringside physician advised the referee to stop the fight. The official result was a third-round TKO for Buckley at 4:42.
What followed for each welterweight
The win extended Buckley’s rise at welterweight and closed a productive 2024. He next faced former champion Kamaru Usman in June 2025 and lost a unanimous decision, then dropped another decision to Sean Brady at UFC 328 in May 2026. Buckley returned against Mike Malott in Edmonton on October 17, 2026, and lost by second-round knockout at 2:32. The UFC’s fighter record and official Edmonton event page list his results and upcoming matchup.
For Covington, the Tampa loss was his most recent UFC bout as of October 2026. He notified the promotion of his retirement from active MMA competition in May 2026 and shifted his focus toward freestyle wrestling, though he later said he had not ruled out a possible UFC return under the right circumstances. MMA Fighting reported the retirement notice, and a September interview with MMA Junkie, reported by Sherdog, captured his later comments about a possible return. The 2024 fight therefore remains a turning point in the recent paths of both men: a major win for Buckley and a final UFC appearance, at least for now, for Covington.
A matchup that delivered a clear result
The original stakes were high for both contenders, but the result was decisive. Buckley’s speed, timing and pressure limited Covington’s ability to impose his usual pace, while the doctor’s stoppage ended the contest before the championship rounds. Buckley left Tampa with one of the biggest victories of his career; the next test is his scheduled matchup with Malott.
