Colby Covington Claims 'Doctor is the One That Beat Me' in UFC Tampa Headliner

It should come as no surprise that Colby Covington has a different perspective on the happenings at UFC Tampa this past Saturday night.

The three-time welterweight title challenger returned for the first time in a year, falling to Joaquin Buckley via third-round technical knockout in the evening’s main event at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The bout was halted by a cageside doctor at the 4:42 mark of Round 3 due to a significant cut above Covington’s right eye.

It was unclear exactly what caused the wound, but Covington seemed to believe it occurred due to a clash of heads. While Buckley appeared to be in clear control of the fight prior to the stoppage, Covington contends that he was robbed of an opportunity to shift momentum down the stretch.

“We came in close contact, and I felt like there was a headbutt, and as soon as it cut in the first round, I couldn’t see,” Covington said on his YouTube channel. “I had blurred vision, I was seeing three different people, I was like, f—k, which one do I punch? I didn’t know what to do. I was kind of confused, but I knew I had to keep fighting. I had to give the UFC and the fans a show. That’s what they pay their hard-earned money to come for and I’m a warrior. We’re gladiators. I’m not going to stop.

“I’ve had way worse in fights than a little cut over my eye, so it’s unfortunate that the doctor stopped the fight like that because if we’re in Vegas, I know the fight gets to keep going. I feel like I was really just starting to gain momentum. Like I was starting to wear him out, I could see him breathing out of his mouth. There wasn’t as much volume at that point, so I feel like it was going to be my fight in the championship rounds, so it was an unfortunate stop and I feel like the doctor is the one that beat me tonight. I didn’t feel like I lost to another opponent.”

Covington accepted the fight on short notice after Ian Garry was pulled from the UFC Tampa card to face Shavkat Rakhmonov in the UFC 310 co-headliner one week prior. The 36-year-old MMA Masters product is just 2-4 in his last six promotional outings, but he remains confident that he still has plenty to offer the sport.

“We’re going to be back stronger than ever. This is just the beginning for me. I wasn’t at my best tonight. I came off the couch, but it was for the company. I did this for the company that I love so much that changed my life. I know that there’s still a lot of fight in me and the best is yet to come,” Covington said.

“I was just getting warmed up in that fight. I think it was tied up 1-1, and I was starting to wear on him. I could see him breathing out of his mouth. I was starting to catch him with more shots, so it’s unfortunate that they stopped it. Even Dana [White] came out and said if that was in Vegas, that would have never been stopped, so I took his hardest shots and they weren’t nothing. They didn’t faze me at all. I was walking right down. So we’ll come back stronger.”