Joaquin Buckley further compounded Colby Covington’s struggles on Saturday night, overwhelming the former interim welterweight champion in the main event of UFC Tampa.
Buckley dominated the first round, denying all of Covington’s takedown attempts while landing significant strikes, including a knockdown that left “Chaos” reeling. In the second round, the up-and-coming contender kept the pressure on, landing clean shots despite being briefly taken down. However, Buckley showcased his strength by quickly recovering and maintaining solid defensive control throughout the round.
Covington, already warned about the deepening cut around his eye from the previous rounds, endured more punishment as the fight progressed into the third. Even when the action moved to the ground, Buckley relentlessly targeted the injury, showing no signs of letting up.
In the middle of the third round, the doctor was called in to assess the cut and determined that Covington could no longer continue safely, halting the fight.
