Joaquin Buckley delivered a commanding performance against Colby Covington in the UFC Tampa main event last month.
However, the fight ended on an anticlimactic note when the ringside physician halted the contest due to a gruesome cut on Covington’s face. The injury, which worsened as the fight progressed, raised concerns about potential damage to Covington’s eyelid, prompting the doctor to stop the bout in the third round.
Reflecting on the fight in a YouTube video titled My Honest Reaction to UFC Fight Night in Tampa, Covington shared his perspective, emphasizing that he felt the fight was competitive and that he wasn’t outclassed.
“There was a little cut that happened,” Covington said. “I rewatched the film, it was like minute two, it was like a headbutt … It wasn’t from a punch. So, you know, that’s the only thing that really limited my potential to be at 100% was the fact that I had blood draining in my eye. I couldn’t see. I’m seeing three, four different people. It’s hard to keep fighting through that, but that’s what I signed up for. I’m a gladiator. This is what I love to do.”
Covington elaborated on his resilience during adversity.
“In moments like that, I show my real character — to push through and rise up stronger. So it’s unfortunate that the DEI doctor stopped the fight early. I feel like the fight was just getting started, and there was a lot more that needed to be settled in there.”
He also highlighted his short preparation time for the fight.
“I showed up for the company on two and a half weeks’ notice,” he explained. “I wasn’t even training. Didn’t have any training partners, didn’t get a proper training camp like this guy. He was in training camp for twelve weeks. He was preparing for the best version of someone. I’m coming off the couch. This guy got me at 30%, and I still should have beat him on no notice.”
