Colby Covington believes a headbutt, not a punch, was responsible for the cut that ended his fight with Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 63 in Tampa, Florida. The third-round doctor stoppage TKO forced Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) to take a loss after a cut to his right eyelid prompted the intervention of doctors.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Covington expressed frustration over the way the fight ended, claiming that, had the cut not occurred, he was on track to take control in the later rounds. “We were just starting to warm up,” Covington said. “Everybody knows I’m a fourth and fifth-round fighter. I could’ve finished him in those rounds. He was breathing heavy, he wasn’t going to have much volume left. I feel like I would’ve taken over in that fight.”
Covington emphasized that Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) didn’t dominate contest and that he never felt truly hurt by his-opponent. “He didn’t outclass me, he didn’t drop me, he didn’t really hurt me,” Covington continued. “It was a close competitive fight. The only thing that really limited my performance was that cut, which came from a headbutt. I rewatched the footage, and it looked like a headbutt around minute two, not a punch.”
The fighter added that he felt the stoppage was premature, noting that he was just beginning to find his rhythm. “It’s unfortunate that the doctor stopped the fight early. I feel like there was a lot more that needed to be settled in there.”
With two consecutive losses, Covington is eager to bounce back and has called for a fight with former title challenger Gilbert Burns, who has expressed interest in the matchup.
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