UFC Tampa co-main: Buckley tipped for victory over Covington

Michael Chandler believes Joaquin Buckley will deliver a decisive victory over Colby Covington in the co-main event of UFC Tampa this Saturday in Florida.

“I think Joaquin Buckley goes out there, and I think he finishes Colby,” Chandler said on Friday.

“I’d love to see Colby Covington get his block knocked off by Joaquin Buckley this weekend.”

Chandler criticized Covington’s decision to step back from the sport, highlighting his inactivity between March 2022 and December 2023 and the loss to Leon Edwards on his return.

“I mean, what an interesting decision,” he continued.

“You sit out for all those years, lose a title fight and all of a sudden you come back kind of on short notice against Joaquin Buckley.

Colby’s not the smartest guy, he’s not the brightest bulb, and we’ll see it on Saturday night.”

“I think Colby just doesn’t have it anymore. I don’t really know if Colby ever really had it, to be honest with you, but we’ll see how it plays out. But I think Joaquin goes out there and gets his hand raised.”

Sports betting sites are aligned with Chandler’s assessment, positioning Covington as a significant underdog.

UFC betting lists odds at -250 to +200 in Buckley’s favor, with Buckley priced at +175 for a knockout victory.

Chandler, who has lost four of his last five fights, also expressed interest in facing Covington after UFC Tampa.

“Never say never when it comes to a fight with Colby,” he said.

“I’ve made it very clear. I don’t like making 155 pounds, I love fights at 170. To me, Colby is a 155’er who doesn’t want to cut much weight. He isn’t a big guy, and I bet him and I weigh within a couple of pounds of each other when we are at our heaviest.”

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