This past Saturday night in the main event of UFC Tampa, we saw a big time welterweight matchup. Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington (17-5) was returning for the first time since his title loss last December and he took on “New Mansa” Joaquin Buckley (21-6).
Joaquin Buckley has really turned his career around since moving down to 170. After a decent run in the UFC’s middleweight division, back-to-back losses to close 2022 forced Buckley to make a change. He dropped to welterweight and hadn’t lost yet entering Saturday night. That said, this was going to be a big test for him.
It turned out to be a test that Buckley passed with flying colors. Buckley was able to land big shots throughout but the most important shot was a grazing uppercut that landed in the first round. That opened a cut over the right eye of Colby Covington. That cut kept getting worse throughout the fight and near the end of the third round, the doctors called it giving Buckley the TKO win at UFC Tampa.
What’s next after UFC Tampa?
When Buckley was given the microphone in his post-fight interview, he asked for the crowd to assist in picking his next opponent. He asked about former champions Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. He also talked about the UFC’s current welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad.
Well, Muhammad has a date lined up with Shavkat Rakhmonov sometime in 2025 so that leaves the two former champions. I like both fights, but there’s a clear opportunity here. The UFC is returning to London in March and they are wanting Leon Edwards to headline that card according to Edwards.
It makes all the sense in the world to have Buckley face the former champion in London. Buckley is 6-0 at 170 and if he’s able to get through Edwards, there’d be no denying him of a title shot in 2025.