Matches to Make After UFC Tampa

Joaquin Buckley was simply too much for Colby Covington to handle.

“New Mansa” had his way with for the three-time welterweight title challenger, battering him on the feet and stuffing the majority of his takedown attempts in the UFC on ESPN 63 main event on Saturday night. The punishment took its toll, as Covington developed a significant cut over his eye, forcing the cageside doctor to call a halt to the contest at the 4:42 mark of Round 3. While Covington appears to be well past his prime, he’s still a big enough name to help propel Buckley to the next level of contenders at 170 pounds.

Before we look ahead to what might be next for some of the key figures at UFC Tampa, it’s time for a little bit of wishful thinking. Happy endings are quite rare in MMA, but Cub Swanson has the opportunity to leave on the ultimate high following a third-round knockout of hometown favorite Billy Quarantillo in the evening’s featherweight co-main event. During his post-fight interview, Swanson admitted that he told his wife beforehand that it might be his last walk to the cage, but it’s also hard to call it quits when things are still going well. Rather than match Swanson against a fellow veteran such as Alex -Caceres-41586">Alex Caceres, we’ll leave him out of the matchmaking proceedings in hopes that he rides off in to the sunset.

Here are some other matches that should be made in the aftermath of UFC Tampa.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Ian Garry

After back-to-back stoppages of Covington and Stephen Thompson, Buckley attempted to enlist the crowd to select his next opponent from the following three options: Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad. Though the reaction was muted at best, Buckley settled on Usman. However, a fight that might make more sense in the grand scheme of things is a rebooking against Garry, who “New Mansa” was originally supposed to face in the UFC Tampa headliner. Garry’s stock didn’t fall far following a close defeat against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, and he’d be an appropriate challenge for Buckley to try and prove his championship worth.

Manel Kape vs. Kai Kara-France

While Kape was undeniably entertaining in his second-round technical knockout victory against Bruno Silva in a featured flyweight scrap, “Starboy” seemed to have conveniently forgotten his lackluster effort against Muhammad Mokaev one bout prior when he made his plea to UFC CEO Dana White for a title shot. However, Kape clearly has unfinished business with Kara-France, who he was supposed to face at UFC 293 before the City Kickboxing standout withdrew due to a concussion. Put Kape and Kara-France together in the Octagon for a five-round contest, and let the winner get a shot at flyweight gold.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Ryan Spann

It was a slow burn for Jacoby against Vitor Petrino, but the payoff worth the wait. The former Glory Kickboxing competitor rendered his opponent unconscious with a perfectly-placed right hand 3:44 into the final stanza of their light heavweight encounter. “The Hanyak” had lost four of his last five UFC appearances prior to Saturday night, but he’s still more than capable of putting on a show. Spann, who has endured his share of struggles lately, ended a three-bout skid with a first-round submission of Ovince St. Preux at UFC 307. The majority of Spann’s UFC fights have ended inside the distance, so this pairing could produce entertainment on a Fight Night card in the coming months.

Daniel Marcos vs. Cody Garbrandt

Marcos called out Jose Aldo following his split-decision win over Adrian Yanez, but that might still be a little bit too much of a reach for the unbeaten Peruvian talent. “Soncora” is 4-0 with one no contest during his UFC tenure, but a couple of those victories have been too close for comfort. If it’s a big name opponent he seeks, Garbrandt could be an ideal dance partner. The former bantamweight champ was booked against Miles Johns on Nov. 9 but had to withdraw due to injury. Despite his struggles in recent years, “No Love” still possesses enough power and talent to provide Marcos with a necessary test.

Michael Johnson vs. Jim Miller

After his emphatic knockout victory over Ottman Azaitar, Johnson took the microphone to proudly let those in attendance at Amalie Arena in Tampa that although he may be 38 years old, he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. Perhaps no one in the promotion knows about going strong at an advanced age than Miller, who just happens to compete in the same weight class as “The Menace.” Even with 74 combined Octagon appearances between them, Johnson and Miller have somehow never crossed paths in the UFC. That should change sometime in 2025 — perhaps as the opener or featured prelim for a pay-per-view event.

Joel Alvarez vs. Bobby Green

Alvarez continued to impress, as he ended Drakkar Klose’s four-bout winning streaking with a flying knee and follow-up punches 2:48 into Round 1 of their preliminary lightweight clash. “El Fenomeno” has been victorious in seven of his last eight Octagon appearances — all inside the distance — and his lone defeat during that stretch came at the hands of current No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan. In recent years, Green has served as something of a gatekeeper for up-and-coming talent in the lightweight division. If Alvarez is indeed ready to advance into the next tier of contenders, he’ll be able to vanquish the well-traveled former King of the Cage champion.