UFC Tampa took place last night (Saturday, December 14, 2024) at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The event featured a welterweight showdown where Joaquin Buckley defeated Colby Covington, prompting a doctor’s stoppage. In the co-main event, Cub Swanson delivered a stunning knockout against Billy Quarantillo, while Manel Kape secured a technical knockout victory over Bruno Gustavo da Silva in the third round.
Winner: Joaquin Buckley
Who He Should Face Next: Kamaru Usman
Buckley was slated to face Ian Garry at this event, but Garry suffered his first career loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, putting that matchup on hold for now. With six consecutive wins—four of which have come in 2024—Buckley should target a higher-ranked opponent. A bout with former 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman could be on the horizon. Although Usman is on a losing streak, still holding the No. 3 position in the welterweight rankings means that if Buckley wants that spot, he will have to take it from Usman.
Winner: Cub Swanson
Who He Should Face Next: Jose Aldo (if he doesn’t retire)
After his knockout victory over Billy Quarantillo, Swanson did not make a definitive statement about retirement, but indications suggest he might be leaning in that direction. Should he choose to continue fighting, his options are limited, but a rematch with Jose Aldo could be intriguing. The two first clashed at WEC 41 in 2009, with Aldo winning in an impressive eight-second knockout. While both fighters may not be in their prime anymore, revisiting this matchup could still provide fans with a memorable spectacle.
Winner: Manel Kape
Who He Should Face Next: Kai Kara-France
Kape demonstrated exceptional striking against Bruno Gustavo da Silva, ultimately winning via TKO in the last round. This performance improves his record to 5-1 in his last six fights, indicating a significant rise in the rankings. A fight between Kape and Kai Kara-France seems appropriate, especially since they were initially scheduled to compete at UFC 293 before Kara-France withdrew due to injury. Kara-France recently secured a first-round TKO victory over Steve Erceg, making this bout an exciting possibility.
Winner: Dustin Jacoby
Who He Should Face Next: Ryan Spann
Jacoby revitalized his career by breaking a two-fight losing streak with a knockout victory over Vitor Petrino. The fight was competitive for 12 minutes before Jacoby landed a decisive shot that earned him the win. Looking ahead, a matchup against Ryan Spann could be in the cards, as Spann recently ended his own three-fight losing streak with a victory over Ovince Saint Preux in October.
Winner: Daniel Marcos
Who He Should Face Next: Nurmagomedov vs. Oliveira winner
Marcos improved his record to 17-0-1 (4-0-1 in the UFC) with a victory over Adrian Yanez after a well-fought 15 minutes. Originally, Marcos was supposed to face Nurmagomedov but had to withdraw for undisclosed reasons. With Nurmagomedov set to fight Vinicius Oliveira on February 1, 2025, a matchup against the winner of that fight could be an excellent next step for Marcos.
For complete UFC Tampa results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.
