Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley believe they can pull the rug from under Shavkat Rakhmonov. Saturday’s UFC Fight Night headliners think an impressive finish can curry them enough favor to earn the next welterweight title shot.
Covington (17-4) has been at the UFC title level for the last six years. He has fought for the interim or full welterweight title four times in seven appearances. “Chaos” admits to being at an all-time low after losing to Leon Edwards last year, but Covington sees an opportunity to get back in the mix after Rakhmonov’s narrow decision win against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 last weekend.
“They’re not ready for the five-round, main event spotlight,” Covington told CBS Sports of the new wave of welterweight contenders. “They’ve been good against guys who are up-and-comer no names on the three-round circuit, but now you’re talking about guys who have been here and have experience in the five-round title fight landscape.
“Garry and Shavkat got exposed. There is a lot of hype around those guys. They didn’t prove it last weekend. I don’t see anything spectacular there. I see guys whose hype I’m ready to end.”
Buckley (20-6) shares his opponent’s assessment. Buckley — who was previously set to headline this weekend’s card in Tampa, Florida against Garry — predicts a second-round knockout will give him the momentum necessary to jump the queue.
“They didn’t live up to the type of fight we all expected. It showed in their performances,” Buckley told CBS Sports.” But it is what it is. Now that I have the opportunity to fight Colby Covington this Saturday, I might be able to steal that spot.
“Colby won the interim title and fought for the belt multiple times. He has one million followers on Instagram. He’s going to the White House to play with [Donald Trump Jr.]. He is the type of guy you can build your name and brand by beating.”
Check out the full interview with Colby Covington below.
It’s far from the strongest UFC Fight Night, but regular viewers will find interest in key bouts. Billy Quarantillo vs. Cub Swanson promises to be fun, Vitor Petrino vs. Dustin Jacoby should produce a KO, and top 15 flyweights collide.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday, with the latest odds, before we predict the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Joaquin Buckley -280 | Colby Covington +230 | Welterweight |
| Billy Quarantillo -160 | Cub Swanson +135 | Featherweight |
| Manel Kape -370 | Bruno Silva +290 | Flyweight |
| Vitor Petrino -320 | Dustin Jacoby +250 | Light heavyweight |
| Daniel Marcos -205 | Adrian Yanez +170 | Bantamweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Dec. 14 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Amalie Arena — Tampa, Florida
TV channel/Stream: ESPN 2/ESPN+
Prediction
Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley: This is as classic a grappler vs. striker fight as you’ll get in 2024. Covington must apply pressure diligently and chain takedowns. Buckley will exercise his four-inch reach to set up a fight-ending blow. Buckley’s wrestling has improved but doesn’t compare to Covington’s A-game. “Chaos” has relentless cardio and breaks fighters over the long haul. I’m concerned about Buckley, a former middleweight, managing his stamina in his first five-round fight. Buckley is a big boy. I’d normally side with Covington — especially since he has a good chin — but the long layoff and his trepidation against Edwards give me pause. I’m not confident but feel Covington has the experience and knowledge to capitalize on Buckley’s main event inexperience. Covington via Unanimous Decision
