Brett Okamoto, ESPN writer
A new era is dawning as welterweights take over the UFC Joaquin Buckley is undeniably one of them.
Buckley (21-6) extended his winning streak to six on Saturday with a third-round TKO of the former interim champion Colby Covington (17-5). The 170-pound fight, which was the main attraction of the UFC’s final 2024 event in Tampa, was canceled at 4:42 of the round when the cage doctor stopped it because of a cut to Covington’s right eye.
Immediately after his victory, Buckley asked the crowd at Amalie Arena who they wanted to see him fight next, making a suggestion Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman and current champion Belal Muhammad as options.
“I think it’s Kamaru Usman,” Buckley said after considering the crowd’s reaction.
Usman, 37, has not fought since October 2023 and currently has no scheduled opponent.
Covington, 36, agreed to Saturday’s fight on short notice when Buckley’s original opponent, Ian Machado Garrywas rescheduled for a five-round fight against Shavkat Rahmonov last week at UFC 310. Covington has been a mainstay in the UFC welterweight rankings for years, but he’s 1-3 in the last four. His last victory was against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022
Always the entertainer, Covington went out with pro wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan and former UFC star Chael Sonnencurrently an ESPN analyst, but he looked flat in the Octagon. According to UFC stats, he managed to land 71 punches compared to Buckley’s 81, but he didn’t have much going for him. He tried to take Buckley down throughout the fight, but he only managed one takedown out of eight attempts.
Buckley of St. Louis looked sharp on the feet, landing punches to Covington’s body and head. He dropped Covington with a right hand late in the first round and could have secured the knockout if the bell had not saved Covington moments later. He also opened a cut above Covington’s right eye, which ultimately ended the fight in the opening round.
Covington is part of a generation of welterweights that appears to be in the twilight of their careers. Usman has lost three in a row. Masvidal, one of the most popular welterweights of the last decade, retired from MMA last year but has announced plans to return at the age of 40. There are people like Rahmonov, Machado Garry, Jacek Della Maddalena and now Buckley is either replacing them in the rankings or rising in popularity.
Buckley finishes 2024 with a 3-0 record, including knockouts of Covington and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
