We’ve witnessed some fantastic fight nights in Florida in recent years, including UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 (March 2024), UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 (April 2023) and UFC 273: Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie (April 2022). However, UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley on Saturday, December 14, will be the promotion's first visit to Tampa for five years. We’re expecting a smoking hot encounter in ‘Cigar City’ as Colby Covington makes his long-awaited return to the octagon at the Amalie Arena. The man they call ‘Chaos’ hasn’t fought since losing by unanimous decision to Leon Edwards in a welterweight belt clash at UFC 296 last December and hasn’t won a bout at all since 2022. In contrast, his Florida opponent, Joaquin Buckley, is on a five-fight win streak and flying high.
Buckley was originally meant to clash with Ian Machado Garry in Tampa, but the Irish fighter lined up against (and lost to) Shavkat Rakhmonov at last weekend’s UFC 310. So, ‘New Mansa’ now squares up to Covington instead. Covington may be an outspoken, controversial character, but UFC head honcho Dana White will relish his return to action, as ‘Chaos’ always brings a bucketload of interest and a bumper crowd. Covington, who fights out of Miami, Florida, is guaranteed plenty of vigorous vocal support, and he’s going to need it. Joaquin Buckley has explosive power and is on the crest of a wave currently. He goes in search of a fourth straight victory in 2024 and a sixth successive one in total. Two of Buckley’s three 2024 wins this calendar year have come by way of KO/TKO, including his last octagon outing in October, where he sparked out two-time UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson.
This is Buckley’s inaugural headline fight in a UFC event, and Covington will hope to use all his experience, grappling skills and octagon savvy to control the bout and keep the younger man under wraps. However, he must bring more to the table than he did in the Edwards fight last December. It was a pretty lacklustre effort from ‘Chaos’ in his third losing UFC title scrap, and the fact that he’s been inactive since then will be a concern for his army of fans as he takes on a highly explosive opponent. Buckley looks set for a title shot very soon, and an eye-catching win over Covington could just seal the deal for ‘New Mansa’.
Getty Images So, how can you watch all the action unfold from UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley, and when does it take place? GOAL brings you all the details, including when and where to watch and who else is fighting on the card.
When is Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley?
| Date | Saturday, December 14 |
| Location | Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida, United States |
Amalie Arena (known previously as the St. Pete Times Forum and Tampa Bay Times Forum) is a multi-purpose venue in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball and many other entertainment/sporting events since opening in 1996 and can seat up to 20000 spectators. The regular home tenants are the Tampa Bay Lightning of NHL fame, who’ve been playing at the arena since it flung open its doors. As of September 2014, the venue has been known under its current guise of the Amalie Arena after the Amalie Oil Company signed a long-term partnership with Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment. It held its first-ever UFC event in April 2016, UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs Evans.
Tickets for UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley can be sourced at axs.com - Prices range from $100-500.
| Country | Prelims | Main event ring walks |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 7:00 pm ET | 12:00 am ET |
| UK | 12:00 am GMT (Sunday) | 5:00 am GMT (Sunday) |
| UAE | 4:00 am GST (Sunday) | 9:00 am GST (Sunday) |
| India | 5:30 am IST (Sunday) | 10:30 am IST (Sunday) |
| Brazil | 9:00 pm BRT | 2:00 am BRT (Sunday) |
| Australia | 10:00 am AEST (Sunday) | 3:00 pm AEST (Sunday) |
How to watch Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley in the US
In the United States, Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley, plus other main card bouts and prelims, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV and many others. One month of ESPN+ is $10.99 (1 month (disney+/hulu) of ESPN+ is $14.99, 1 month (disney+/hulu no ads) of ESPN+ is $24.99), and 1 year costs $109.99.
How to watch Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley in the UK
UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £29.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports, Eurosport, and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports, Discovery+, and Eurosport.
Watch Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley from anywhere with a VPN
If UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
UFC Fight Night: Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley Fight Card
| Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
| Welterweight | Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley |
| Featherweight | Cub Swanson vs Billy Quarantillo |
| Light heavyweight | Vitor Petrino vs Dustin Jacoby |
| Bantamweight | Adrian Yanez vs Daniel Marcos |
| Lightweight | Michael Johnson vs Ottman Azaitar |
Colby Covington MMA stats
- Age: 36
- Height: 5'11" (180cm)
- Reach: 72.0" (183cm)
- Total fights: 21
- Record: 17-4-0
Joaquin Buckley MMA stats
- Age: 30
- Height: 5'10" (178cm)
- Reach: 76.0" (193cm)
- Total fights: 26
- Record: 20-6-0