Colby Covington wanted to put on a show, which he did to some degree as the former interim welterweight champ had Chael Sonnen and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan in his corner. However, when it came to putting on a show inside the Octagon, he couldn’t manage that one as ‘Chaos’ suffered a TKO (doctor’s stoppage) against Joaquin Buckley in the third round. Following his most high-profile victory, ‘New Mansa’ decided to make an unusual call-out, which garnered a response from the champion, Belal Muhammad.
Joaquin Buckley, during the post-fight interview, asked the fans whom he should be battling next. He put up three names – Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, or the champ, Belal Muhammad. The crowd raised their voice when Buckley mentioned ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, and that’s whom he decided to focus on next. Apparently, the welterweight champion took to X, claiming that he believes ‘New Mansa’ can easily beat Usman in a fight.
“Buckley knocks out usman,” said Belal Muhammad, as he pictures a similar ending to Kamaru Usman to that of Colby Covington against Joaquin Buckley. Do you agree with this assessment?
Buckley knocks out usman
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 15, 2024
With Shavkat Rakhmonov in line next for the welterweight title shot, Joaquin Buckley could be the next one to get it with one more win under his belt. For that, ‘New Mansa’ might have to take on a top-five contender to stake his claim. Following his win in Tampa, some fans are calling for a welterweight showdown between Buckley and Ian Garry, who put up a commendable show at UFC 310, others believe he could take on the former champion, Leon Edwards, who’s currently the no.1 contender in the division. But the Louisville native has made up his mind, and it’s Kamaru Usman he’s going after.
Belal Muhammad’s confidence regarding Joaquin Buckley’s chances against Kamaru Usman stems from his recent performances. In his 6-fight winning streak, the Louisville native has registered four knockouts. So maybe Buckley does stand a chance. But let’s take a look at how his fight against Colby Covington went down.
Stepping away from the title picture doesn’t mean it was an easy outing for Colby Covington. The former interim champion was battered by Joaquin Buckley, who he had earlier deemed as a “nobody.” UFC Tampa was a night of some impressive knockouts, but ‘New Mansa’ TKO win came via doctor’s stoppage. The Louisville native did a number on Covington, who could not even secure the only takedown that he attempted on Buckley.
Joaquin Buckley landed a total of 75 significant strikes, which is significantly more than the number of strikes Colby Covington managed to land. ‘New Mansa’ showed that he’s grown a lot since his last loss, and his sharpness led to busting Colby Covington out in the initial five minutes of their encounter. Moreover, Buckley was successful in canceling ‘Chaos’s wrestling, keeping the fight on the feet.
Joaquin Buckley then proceeded to batter Colby Covington in the early half of the third round when a doctor had to step in during the closing stages of the round. The crimson mask on ‘Chaos’ was enough for the doctor to call it a fight and hand a TKO win to the 30-year-old welterweight. Although it was one-sided, the UFC capped off 2024 with an entertaining fight.
Due to a Doctor's Stoppage Joaquin Buckley wins by TKO.#UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/rj6iEjNFkK
— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2024
Meanwhile, Colby Covington is yet to issue any statement after his loss, as he suffered a very worrying cut above his right eye. There are no details yet on his injury, but for Joaquin Buckley, things are looking bright as he has piqued Belal Muhammad’s interest. It will be interesting to see how soon ‘New Mansa’ manages to earn a title shot after beating yet another former welterweight title contender.