UFC Tampa picks and predictions

Check out who we think will win at the last UFC event of the year.

Hey, it’s this guy. Art by Chris Rini.

The UFC wraps up its 2024 in Tampa, Florida this weekend. And they’ve brought back one of their most controversial figures to close down the year. Colby Covington has become somewhat of the forgotten shit heel in MMA, given the rise of Sean Strickland, Jamahal Hill and plenty of others who say inflammatory things and lean hard right. Rest assured, though. Covington is likely as sad and gross as he ever was.

This weekend the former interim UFC Welterweight champion will meet Joaquin Buckley, who is surging through the ranks and coming off a KO win over Stephen Thompson.

That’s not a bad main event to end the year. And, personally, I’d love it if we close out 2024 in MMA with Covington shooting for a takedown and eating a face full of shin.

The rest of the card is so-so. It’s a big drop off from last week’s UFC 310, but there’s still some interesting fights. The co-main is Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo. That could be fun. There’s also Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva.

There’s some good prospects layered throughout, too. Joel Alvarez, Felipe Lima and Navajo Stirling could all make some noise in 2025.

For the last time this year, we (who poured out blood, sweat and tears into Bloody Elbow before the google algorithm fucked us and the site had to be sold) have looked over these match-ups and picked our winners.

You can see those below. If you’re using this information for betting, please do so responsibility. And if you win a bunch of cash, thank us by renewing your subscription!

See you in 2025… Thinking we’ll add picks for round totals next year. Thoughts?

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Colby Covington (+220) vs. Joaquin Buckley (-270)

Miguel Class: Covington has looked abysmal ever since he burned his bridges with ATT. Now he’s pushing 37 and has never had a style that was going to age well. I’ve never been high on Buckley, but at welterweight he’s at least enough of a threat physically to make up for his lack of craft. What’s concerning is the amount that Buckley has relied on his wrestling as of late and Covington’s last fight with Edwards showed that he’s still good defensively and in scrambles.