Colby Covington, famous for his unparliamentary political takes and once relentless wrestling will be fighting against rising contender Joaquin Buckley on December 14. Known for his ability to hype a fight, Covington’s comeback has already set social media ablaze, with fans and critics alike weighing in on what promises to be a thrilling matchup.
For Covington supporters, this is a long-awaited opportunity to see their favorite fighter back in action. On the other hand, some fans are rooting for Buckley to take down the former title challenger and solidify his rise in the division.
Colby Covington will face Joaquin Buckley in the main event at #UFCTampa on December 14, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/CV8TUYUwGP
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 16, 2024
Given how polarising Covington is, it was only natural for the comments section to be filled with interesting reactions.
A fan showed an utter lack of confidence in the welterweight contender and said, “Buckley going to retire this clown lmaoooo.” Another fan had similar views on the fight and asserted, “The world is rooting for Buckley.”
Covington seems to have a lot of detractors going into the fight it seems, as another fan added, “The only time I will go for Buckley.” This man found the comeback hilarious and said, “Lmaoooooooo Colby tumbling down to irrelevancy. Love that for him”
Another fan suggested a wild theory- “Covington ducked Garry just to get KOed by Buckley even better.”
Covington defends himself amidst accusations
Covington, never one to back down from a verbal spat, had claimed he offered to fight Rakhmonov on December 7 at UFC 310 but was passed on by the UFC. However, Rakhmonov wasn’t impressed, dismissing Covington’s callout as empty posturing alongside a similar claim from former champ Kamaru Usman.
Covington didn’t take the criticism lightly and fired back with a ‘racist’ Instagram rant where he doubled down on his intentions. He called Rakhmonov out directly, promising to contact UFC brass to make the fight happen.
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Rakhmonov, unfazed, responded in the comments, challenging Covington to back up his talk in the octagon.
“Let’s go,I’m ready! Your talking will not help you in the octagon.”
Both fighters are looking for big opportunities right now- Covington wants to bounce back after losing to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, and Rakhmonov, fresh off a submission win over Stephen Thompson, to solidify his shot at welterweight gold. Hopefully, those paths converge at some point.
