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USA Today
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Colby Covington only wants legacy fights, interested in 'weight bully' Paddy Pimblett
Colby Covington has his sights set on one of the biggest stars in the UFC. Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) hasn't competed since a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner last December. The former interim welterweight champion is no longer looking to face rising contenders and wants established names only. "I'm not done with the UFC. I still have some unfinished business, but I want big fights – high-level, first-ballot Hall of Famer type fights ... legacy fights.," Covington said in an interview with Matan Even. After coaching opposite side Covington as assistants on Season 33 of "The Ultimate Fighter," Michael Chiesa was hoping to draw Covington next. However, "Chaos" has turned his attention to Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who he had an altercation with during UFC 314. "I think the Paddy Pimblett fight is interesting," Covington said. "He's got a little bit of a name right now, but only because he's got an English accent and a bowl cut. He's actually bigger than me. He's a weight bully. He cuts a lot of weight." However, Pimblett appears to have bigger attention to attend to after facing off with newly crowned lightweight champion Ilia Topuria after Saturday's UFC 317 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Evening Standard
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
How to watch Usman vs Buckley: TV channel and live stream for UFC today
The 31-year-old St Louis native is now eleven years into his career and has not tasted defeat since December 2022. His last fight came as he headlined UFC on ESPN 63, downing Colby Covington via a third-round TKO.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC's Joaquin Buckley says he's 'worst nightmare' for Islam Makhachev at welterweight
UFC's Joaquin Buckley says he's 'worst nightmare' for Islam Makhachev at welterweight Joaquin Buckley warns Islam Makhachev of his move to the UFC's welterweight division. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that, upon vacating his lightweight title, Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) will get an immediate shot at newly crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena at a date to be determined. Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) will look to emerge as the next title challenger when he takes on former champion Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) on June 14 in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. If the stars align and he gets an opportunity to face Makhachev, Buckley is confident that he has the style to pose him the most problems. "Even though Islam and I have never had a connection, I'll tell you right now, he's going to know a lot about me if we ever get booked to fight," Buckley said in an interview with Parry Punch. "The people he has struggled with and the people that have shown a couple of holes in his game, I'm going to be his worst nightmare, not JDM. JDM has a lot of holes that Islam can exploit. "We've seen that with the Gilbert Burns fight. Actually, we've seen it with several fights from JDM where he was struggling in the grappling. But with me, and what I did to Colby, and what I'm going to do to Kamaru Usman, Islam, it's going to be in his head. Even Khabib is probably going to tell him maybe moving up ain't a good idea. I bet you, but I'm hunting for that. I want that pound-for-pound." Buckley has shined since dropping back down to 170 pounds. He is 6-0 as a welterweight in the UFC, most recently stopping Colby Covington by TKO in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner this past December.
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ESPN 69 main event
Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ESPN 69 main event Joaquin Buckley will look to emerge as a title challenger when he meets a former champion at UFC on ESPN 69. Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman preview Since dropping back down to 170 pounds, Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is unbeaten in the octagon. "New Mansa" is coming off a TKO of Colby Covington in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner this past December. Usman was among three names Buckley called out after his win. Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) will look to rebound from a three-fight losing skid. The former UFC welterweight champion hasn't competed since a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice middleweight fight at UFC 294 in October 2023. Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman odds According to BetRivers, Buckley is a moderate -235 favorite to beat former champion Usman, who's a -185 underdog. How to watch Joaquin Buckley vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC on ESPN 69
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joaquin Buckley prepares for next move after Kamaru Usman: 'There are no stars in the UFC'
Joaquin Buckley prepares for next move after Kamaru Usman: 'There are no stars in the UFC' Joaquin Buckley sees big opportunities if he can take out a former UFC champion in impressive fashion. Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) meets Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) June 14 in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The streaking knockout artist thinks the UFC is in dire need of a star, and sees himself being the one to step up. Buckley explains why he is rooting for welterweight champion Belal Muhammad to beat Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 315 headliner on May 10 in Montreal. "I always like to prepare for that next move," Buckley said in a video on his Instagram. "Once I beat Kamaru Usman, my mentality and where I want to go is to get that belt. Pray Belal is the one that wins because if he doesn't win, if JDM wins, I already know the UFC got different moves that they're trying to do. So I'm hoping Belal wins. Once he wins, knock his ass out, and then go ahead and proceed to be the biggest star in the UFC. "Right now, the big talk is that there are no stars in the UFC right now, and if there are, they either lost or fumbled the bag in some type of way. So I really feel like this is my opportunity to really show up and show out. Yet again, I've got to go into that cage, get my hand raised – but not only get my hand raised, go out there and dominate this man and get the knockout that I know that I can get." Buckley got his wish of drawing Usman. After he stopped Colby Covington by TKO in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner this past December, he turned to the crowd to chime in on who he should face next. Of the three names he mentioned, Usman got the loudest pop and Buckley will indeed be the one to welcome "The Nigerian Nightmare" back in the cage.
