UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | December 14, 2024 |
| Headquarters | Tampa , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley (also referred to as UFC on ESPN 63) was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 14, 2024. The event took place at Amalie Arena located in Tampa, Florida, United States.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC's fourth event hosted in Tampa and its first return to the city since October 2019.
Initially, the main event was scheduled to feature a welterweight clash between Joaquin Buckley and Ian Machado Garry. However, Garry was reassigned to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, which occurred one week prior, leading to his replacement by former interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington.
A bantamweight contest between Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong had been reported as a potential headliner but was ultimately canceled due to an injury sustained by Song.
The women's flyweight bout involving Tracy Cortez and Miranda Maverick, originally postponed from July after Cortez stepped in for an injured opponent against former two-time strawweight titleholder Rose Namajunas, underwent another change when Cortez withdrew citing health concerns. Her spot was filled by former LFA Women's Flyweight Champion Jamey-Lyn Horth.
A bantamweight fight between Said Nurmagomedov and Daniel Marcos was planned; however, Nurmagomedov pulled out for undisclosed reasons and was substituted by Adrian Yañez.
The women's strawweight rematch featuring Mackenzie Dern against Amanda Ribas, which was initially set for this event following Ribas's unanimous decision victory over Dern in Tampa in 2019, was rescheduled to January 11, 2025. It will serve as the headline bout for UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo
- Performance of the Night: Dustin Jacoby and Michael Johnson