The UFC rolled into Tampa Bay, Florida, for the last event of the calendar year, headlined by Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley. Supported by a stacked undercard with prospects and veterans that had several fights delivered to close out another unforgettable year for the premier promotion of mixed martial arts.
A revitalized Joaquin Buckley headed into the main event, ranked at number 9 against number 6, Colby Covington, and took his current win streak to six as he continues to impress in his new home at 170lbs. Buckley pushed the pace and controlled the distance from the beginning. Still, a cut to Covington’s right eye in the first round seemingly slowed the hometown fighter down, forcing him to attempt takedowns to try and wear out the more physically fit Buckley.
Buckley went in for the kill with little success, and the pressure was too much to handle. More significant strikes landed cleanly, and the cut opened up even more, forcing the doctor to stop in round three. This dominant performance proves he will be a genuine contender for a title opportunity. ‘New Mensa looked very impressive against a former interim welterweight champion, which will now open the door to a fight with a higher-ranked opponent.
Veteran Johnson Stuns Azaitar & Australian Prospect Stirling Shines.
Thirty-eight-year-old Michael Johnson rolled back the years with a stunning KO over German prospect Ottman Azaitar, who will reportedly be cut from the UFC after being knocked out in the first round for the third time. Johnson made it two from two in 2024 and took his win tally to fifteen since arriving in the organization in 2010 after competing in the Ultimate Fighter Series.
Australian prospect Navajo Stirling announced himself to the UFC fans in Florida with a dominant performance over Englishman Tuco Tokkos. Taking his record to 6-0 and having the crowd on his side in a stylistically difficult match-up ultimately gave him the right test on his debut. It was a solid first outing and one to watch at light heavyweight in 2025.
Davey Grant Returns After Career-Threatening Injury
After a career-threatening injury, Englishman Davey Grant returned with a unanimous decision win over Ramon Taveras. Sharp work from another UFC veteran on the card who made his debut in 2013 and currently has a 7-6 record, with more than one of those losses coming from razor-thin spit decisions. Thankfully, his surgery in March was a success and after a lengthy rehabilitation program that included assistance from the UFC Performance Institute and Las Vegas gym Syndicate MMA, as well as his home team at SBG Bishop Auckland, he returned in the best possible way he could of imagined by way of fifteen minutes work and being back in the win column.
Full Undercard Results
J. Buckley def C. Covington KO/TKO, 4:42 R3
W Cub Swanson def B. Quarantillo KO/TKO, 1:36 R3
W Manel Kape def Bruno Silva KO/TKO, 1:57 R3
W Dustin Jacoby def Vitor Petrino KO/TKO, 3:44 R3
W Daniel Marcos def Adrian Yanez
W N. Stirling def Tuco Tokkos
W M. Johnson def Ottman Azaitar KO/TKO, 2:03 R2
W Joel Alvarez def Drakkar Klose KO/TKO, 2:48 R1
W Sean Woodson def F. Padilla KO/TKO, 4:58 R1
W Felipe Lima def Miles Johns
W M. Maverick def J. Horth
W Davey Grant def Ramon Taveras
W P. Rodriguez def J. Knutsson