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Colby Covington Comments on Unexpected Return for UFC Tampa Main Event

Former UFC champ Colby Covington has something to say following his Joaquin Buckley fight announcement.

Christopher De Santiago

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Colby Covington will be competing in 2024, after all.

The former UFC interim welterweight champion has long been rumored to fight Ian Machado Garry, especially after a drawn-out war of words online, but we still have yet to see the matchup made with both contenders fighting within a week of each other.

Originally scheduled to headline UFC Tampa across #9-ranked Joaquin Buckley, Garry's now been elevated to a title eliminator with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 following the withdrawal of champion Belal Muhammad.

Ian Machado Garry Lights Up Colby Covington after UFC Tampa Booking

Covington Answered The Call For Buckley At UFC Tampa

As for Covington, he'll be filling in for the new main event of UFC Tampa a week later on shorter notice than usual. Buckley marks Covington's first fight back since a title fight loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December.

"They call. I answer," Covington wrote on X on Saturday. "America’s Champ is BACK December 14th in Tampa Bay."

Covington coined himself 'America's Champ' following his capture of the interim welterweight title in 2018, meeting President Donald Trump with the championship belt thereafter in the Oval Office of The White House in one of the more significant moments of the fighter's career.

Despite the feat, the 36-year-old Covington is 0-3 in undisputed title fights, losing twice to Kamaru Usman and most recently Leon Edwards. "Chaos" attempts to rebound (just as Trump did in the 2024 election) with a victory over the streaking Joaquin Buckley - winner of his last five fights.

Colby Covington's last win came over the first BMF Champion (and former teammate) Jorge Masvidal, a unanimous decision effort in the main event of UFC 272. The American is 2-3 in his last five bouts, with Covington's greatest wins over former champs Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler, and Rafael Dos Anjos.

Colby Covington Comments on Unexpected Return for UFC Tampa Main Event
UFC's Colby Covington. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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