UFC Tampa: Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley: Full results

UFC Tampa is in the books. The event took place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 14. It was the last of 42 events produced by the UFC in 2024. This article recaps the fights and explores the UFC Tampa full results.

In the main event, No.6-ranked welterweight and former interim title holder Colby Covington returned to competition against No.9-ranked Joauin Buckley in a short-notice contest. Pitting Buckley's powerful striking and Covington's high-pace wrestling, the bout marked a clash between two generations of fighters.

In the fight, Covington was off to a rough start as Buckley landed with clean strikes and denied takedowns, dropping 'Chaos' in the closing moments of Round 1.

Covington managed to get a takedown in Round 2 and kept Buckley down. While this seemed to have slowed Buckley a little, 'New Mansa' started afresh in Round 3 and worsened the cuts around Covington's eyes.

Despite being bloodied, Covington held the top position through the second half of Round 3. However, the referee called the cage-side doctor to inspect his cuts. On the doctor's advice, the referee ruled Covington unable to continue, declaring Buckley a winner by TKO.

In the co-main event, Cub Swanson fought fellow veteran fighter Billy Quarantillo. Swanson, who was returning to competition after a split decision loss against Andre Fili, started strong, gaining the upper hand in the early exchanges. However, Quarantillo maintained his composure and returned the fire, hurting the 41-year-old to to turn the tide in his favor.

The ensuing back-and-forth battle saw Quarantillo using his striking to get entries on takedowns. Meanwhile, Swanson appeared to be landing the more impactful strikes. Both men came close to getting a finish on a few occasions. However, an accurate one-two combination from Swanson knocked Quarantillo out on impact in Round 2.

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UFC Tampa: Main card results

Top 10 flyweight contender Manel Kape faced Bruno Silva in an attempt to get back in the win column. Kape dominated the bout with effective strikes and cage control, as there seemed to be a massive skill gap between the two.

Kape showed no respect for Silva's striking or power and taunted him as the fight progressed. Desperate to get a finish, 'Bulldog' came out guns blazing in Round 3 but could hit the wall. A body kick from Kape hurt Silva as he turned away and went down after a few follow-up strikes, prompting the referee to stop the action.

Coming off his first professional MMA loss, light heavyweight contender Vitor Petrino hoped to score a win over Dustin Jacoby. At the beginning of their fight, Petrino primarily aimed for the head and the body, while Jacoby held his own with leg kicks. Petrino found more success with his strikes and takedown attempts in the middle round.

Energized by this, the Brazilian started aggressively in the final round, but a running knee attempt resulted in him getting caught with a powerful straight right that knocked him out on impact.

In a bantamweight contest on the main card, Adrian Yanez fought Daniel Marcos, and the bout went the distance. Both fighters increased their pace in the third round and had a respectable showing in the stand-up. However, Marcos displayed superior ground skills, winning by split decision.

In the main card opening bout, undefeated light heavyweight prospect Navajo Stirling defeated Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision. Stirling efficiently used feints and versatile striking to keep Tokkos on the defensive.

Despite Tokkos' takedown attempts, he couldn't maintain control or threaten Stirling with submissions.

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UFC Tampa: Preliminary card results

In the preliminary card headlining bout, Michael Johnson knocked Ottman Azaitar out with a vicious left hook in Round 2. Despite being hurt in Round 1, Azaitar continued to press forward with wild hooks, but Johnson's quick hands led to the decisive knockout by a left hook.

Spain's Joel Alvarez extended his win streak to three with a first-round KO of Drakkar Klose in a lightweight bout.

After being hurt early, Klose secured a takedown but could not keep Alvarez down. The Spaniard landed a one-two combination that sent Klose staggering to the fence, followed by a flying knee that knocked him out. Alvarez kept Klose's body propped and continued to punch until the referee stepped in to stop the action.

Fernando Padilla started strong in a featherweight bout against Sean Woodson. However, Woodson eventually found his range and wobbled Padilla with a left-right combo in the final seconds of Round 1. After absorbing another combo that knocked him down, the referee stopped the fight with two seconds left in the round and Woodson raining down punches.

Felipe Lima, a rising featherweight, extended his UFC win streak to two with a unanimous decision victory over Miles Johns. Lima showcased versatile striking and effective takedowns throughout the fight.

Despite Johns reversing positions several times and finishing the fight in a dominant stance, it wasn't enough to convince the judges.

Miranda Maverick and Jamey-Lyn Horth produced a competitive three-round fight. Maverick edged past Horth with a crucial takedown in the final frame, winning two of the three rounds on all three judges' scorecards.

Veteran fighter Davey Grant utilized his high-volume striking to outpoint a more calculated Ramon Tavares. Tavares had a notable moment in Round 2 when he rocked Grant with a powerful left hand. However, Grant managed to bounce back and secured a unanimous decision victory.

Piera Rodriguez, a standout from Dana White's Contender Series, handed Josefine Knutsson her first professional MMA defeat in the night's opening bout. After dominating with takedowns and control, she walked away with a unanimous decision victory.

Check out the UFC Tampa full results below:

Main card

Welterweight - Joaquin Buckley def. Colby Covington by T/KO (Doctor's stoppage) (R3, 4:42)

Featherweight - Cub Swanson def. Billy Quarantillo by T/KO (R2, 1:36)

Flyweight - Manel Kape def. Bruno Silva by T/KO (R3, 1:57)

Light heavyweight - Dustin Jacoby def. Vitor Petrino by T/KO (R3, 3:44)

Bantamweight - Daniel Marcos def. Adrian Yanez by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Light heavyweight - Navajo Sterling def. Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)

Preliminary card

Lightweight - Michael Johnson def. Ottman Azaitar by T/KO (R2, 2:03)

Lightweight - Joel Alvarez def. Drakkar Klose by T/KO (R1, 2:48)

Featherweight - Sean Woodson def. Fernando Padilla by T/KO (R1, 4:58)

Featherweight - Felipe Lima def. Miles Johns by unanimous decision (30-27 X 2)

Women's flyweight - Miranda Maverick def. Jamey-Lyn Horth by unanimous decision (29-28 X 3)

Bantamweight - Davey Grant def. Ramon Tavares by unanimous decision (30-27 X 2, 29-28)

Women's strawweight - Piera Rodriguez def. Josefine Knutsson by unanimous decision (30-27 X 3)