Joaquin Buckley hunting for finish against Colby Covington

Joaquin Buckley’s strategy towards Colby Covington will probably be no totally different.

Buckley (20-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) meets former interim welterweight champion Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) within the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner on Dec. 14 from Amalie Enviornment in Tampa, Fla.

Covington has solely been stopped by strikes as soon as in his profession – a TKO stoppage to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245, which he contested was too early. Buckley, who’s knocked out three of his previous 5 opponents, will look to be the primary to close Covington’s lights off.

“He’ll argue that he wasn’t knocked out, that he wasn’t completed, and he’s proper,” Buckley instructed Center Straightforward. “He wasn’t knocked out unconscious. I actually really feel like for me, although, and the fashion that I carry, we’re two kinds of fighters who need to take the center of the cage and actually impose our will.

“So we’re going to determine who does the perfect job at that and work out who makes it to the judges’ playing cards or who doesn’t. I hate going to the judges. My greatest factor is, I at all times need to get the end, and I’m at all times combating onerous to get the end – so we’ll see.”

However above absolutely anything else, Buckley thinks he’s already the kind of fighter who ought to get a title shot – and a giant win over Covington would possibly seel the deal.

“I actually really feel prefer it wouldn’t be no arguments as soon as I am going on the market and placed on a dominant efficiency on Colby Covington. It’s simply, but once more: Why not give me a possibility to combat for the title?” Buckley mentioned.

“You realize it’s going to be enjoyable to look at. Whether or not I win, lose, it doesn’t matter. On the finish of the day, it’s the leisure enterprise. So why not give me the prospect and alternative to combat for the belt?”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC on ESPN 63.