The UFC will hold its final event of 2024 with UFC on ESPN 63 at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Saturday night, which includes a main event between former welterweight title challenger Colby Covington and rising contender Joaquin Buckley.
Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC), whose most recent title challenge ended in a loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, returns to the Octagon for the first time in a year. It was his third failed attempt to claim the title, but Covington is 16-1 in non-title fights in his career.
He faces a interesting opponent in Buckley, who has won fight consecutive fights since moving from middleweight last year. Buckley (20-6, 10-4) is coming off a stoppage win over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 307 and enters this fight ranked in the top 10.
A win over the veteran Covington would launch Buckley closer to the title contender conversation, while Covington is looking to work his way back up to a fourth shot. Covington called himself a “company man” in accepting a fight some may view as having little upside but plenty of downside should he lose.
“People have been trying to trash my name for too long when I’ve fought the best fighters in the world for eight to 10 years straight,” Covington told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “This is my opportunity to come out, beat a young, hungry, up-and-comer that’s on a long, five-fight win streak and has a lot of hype behind his name, explosive hands.
“So, it’s an opportunity to bring him in the deep waters, in the main event spotlight, and show the world that I’m still the best welterweight on planet earth.”
Buckley opened as the -225 favorite at BetMGM, and those odds have shortened further to -250. That has contributed to heavy action on Covington, who has been backed by 78 percent of the fight bets and 91 percent of the money while moving from +185 to +200.
The book reported its most-bet prop on the main card has been Covington to win in round 4 at +5000, followed by a Covington win in round 5 at +2200.
The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS
Cub Swanson (29-14-0) vs. Bill Quarantillo (18-6-0)
In a battle between highly experienced featherweights, Swanson is looking to rebound from a decision loss to Andre Fili in June while Quarantillo is coming off a submission defeat to Youssef Zalal. Swanson, 41, is a UFC Hall of Fame member. An Octagon veteran in his own right, Quarantillo has alternated wins and losses over his past eight fights.
Quarantillo has drawn 55 percent of the money as the -150 favorite, while Swanson has been backed by 59 percent of the totel bets at +125.
Manel Kape (19-7-0) vs. Bruno Silva (14-5-2)
It’s a battle of top 10 flyweights. Kape is a modest 4-3 through his first seven UFC fights, while Silva has strung together four consecutive wins after dropping each of his first three fights in the promotion.
The public has backed the underdog heavily in this one. Silva has drawn 77 percent of the money and 67 percent of the bets at +290 to upset Kape (-375).
Dustin Jacoby (19-9-1) vs. Vitor Petrino (11-1-0)
Petrino suffered his first professional loss his last time out, as the former Dana White Contender Series fighter was submitted by Anthony Smith. Jacoby enters with a two-fight losing streak and has one just once in his past five trips inside the Octagon.
While the total bets placed have been almost even, Petrino has a big edge with 87 percent of the money backing him at -350. Jacoby has drawn just 13 percent despite +260 odds.
Daniel Marcos (16-0-0) vs. Adrian Yanez (17-5-0)
Yanez notched a first-round stoppage win over Vinicius Salvador in May to snap a two-fight losing streak. Now he seeks to establish a winning streak again Yanez, who ran his unbeaten streak to 16 with a unanimous decision win over John Castaneda his last time out. It is an important fight for both bantamweights who are seeking to climb into the rankings.
Marcos opened at -145, but has seen his odds as the favorite strengthen to -210 with the public backing him with 88 percent of the money. Yanez has shifted from +120 to +175.
Navajo Stirling (5-0-0) vs. Tuco Tokkos (10-4-0)
Stirling remains unbeaten early in his professional career. Tokkos is coming off a loss to Oumar Sy on short notice in May.
Stirling is by far the heaviest favorite on the main card. He opened at -500 to win this heavyweight fight, but those odds have shifted significantly to -900 with Stirling backed by 82 percent of the money. Big wagers have offset the 49 percent of the total fight bets Tokkos has garnered at +575.
–Field Level Media
