Fight Coverage
Last time In Tampa
Before UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley, Let’s Take A Look At What Happened The Last Time The UFC Was In Tampa
For the last event of 2024, the Octagon heads to Tampa, Florida, for the fourth time in UFC history and first since October 2019.
It’s the promotion’s second visit to the sunshine state this year, and with a card headlined by Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley, fans are expecting a show. Saturday’s event marks the end of a memorable year for the company, but before we get there, let’s take a look at what happened the last time the UFC was in Tampa.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk Too Strong For Michelle Waterson-Gomez
UFC Tampa: Joanna & Waterson Octagon Interviews
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UFC Tampa: Joanna & Waterson Octagon Interviews
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In the main event, Jedrzejczyk cruised by Waterson-Gomez for much of the fight, leading to a unanimous decision victory with the judges’ scorecards reading 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. Like always, Waterson-Gomez had her moments, however the former UFC strawweight champion’s size and strength was the difference.
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Jedrzejczyk dictated the fight for the first two rounds with strong work while in the clinch, landing more elbows and knees. It continued into the third, where Waterson-Gomez showed why she has so many fans. Jedrzejczyk applied constant damage, but during the final minute of the third round, she landed a takedown and nearly secured a rear-naked choke to end the fight. To close the contest, Jedrzejczyk went back to her elite kicking game and won her 11th career decision.
Amanda Ribas And Mackenzie Dern’s First Meeting
During the main card, Amanda Ribas, who is the current No. 8 strawweight, took on Mackenzie Dern, who is now ranked No. 6. At the time, they were both just beginning their careers as UFC fighters, as it was just the third promotional appearance for Dern and second for Ribas. Fast forward to now, they were originally scheduled to rematch at the same venue this Saturday, but it is now slated for a five-round main event on January 11 at the UFC APEX.
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During their first matchup, Ribas controlled the pace with good counter shots and brought a lot of pressure. After Dern went for a takedown late in round one, Ribas turned it into a throw, gaining top position. In the end, Ribas landed more in most of the exchanges and showed off her elite grappling, leading to a unanimous decision win.
Deiveson Figuieredo’s Rise At Flyweight
When the UFC was in Tampa five years ago, former flyweight champion Deiveson Figuieredo was fighting on the prelims. The Brazilian made his case for a title shot that night when he finished former title challenge Tim Elliott in the first round by guillotine. It was Elliott’s first action in almost two years and he came out aggressively.
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He shot an early takedown, but Figuieredo locked in a tight guillotine choke immediately, forcing Elliott to tap. The performance moved Figuieredo to 6-1 and very close to a championship opportunity after getting by Elliott and Alexandre Pantoja in back-to-back appearances. Following the performance, he captured two straight wins over Joseph Benavidez, winning the title during the second matchup, and went on to be in six straight championship bouts.
UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley took place live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on December 14, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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