<p>The UFC is heading to Tampa. Down amongst the gators and the everglades hands will be thrown as the latest UFC Fight Night puts Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley on a collision course.</p> <p>This should be a classic Welterweight war, with Covington looking to prove his best days are not in the rearview mirror, while Buckley is out to continue his red-hot streak at 170lbs.</p> <p>This fight will also present the classic UFC conundrum of: what happens when a striker meets a grappler? For those searching for the answer to that question, perhaps we can help.</p> <p>For the latest Covington vs Buckley news, analysis, odds and more, check out our UFC Fight Night preview and prediction.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Colby Covington vs Joaquin Buckley Prediction</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This is a truly intriguing match-up between a long-term top five contender in Colby Covington, taking on an in-form and on the rise, Joaquin Buckley.</p> <p>Colby, who is six years Buckley’s senior, is coming off a 12-month hiatus and stepping in on relatively short notice to take this fight.</p> <p>We don't expect this to play a massive role as Covington is known to stay relatively fit all year round and stay busy in the gym.</p> <p>Covington hasn't fought in the UFC since his decisive loss to Leon Edwards for the welterweight strap.</p> <p>It’s important to note that there were plenty of flashes of prime Colby in that fight and while the result went against him, his performance should not be dismissed lightly.</p> <p>In fact, at 170lbs, he has a proven track record of only losing against the absolute cream of the crop (Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards).</p> <p>On the other side of the octagon, we have Buckley, who made the shift down to welterweight from middleweight last year.</p> <p>He hasn’t looked back since and has ridden a wave of momentum to a five fight win streak.</p> <p>His last victory came in the form of an explosive stoppage victory over the veteran Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, showing he has little respect for his elders when stepping onto the canvas.</p> <p>As mentioned earlier, stylistically, this is a fascinating match-up. MMA’s El Classico - a striker vs a grappler. Who you got?</p> <p>Somewhat surprisingly, we are going against the H2H odds and throwing our support behind the veteran here.</p> <p>We have a feeling this could be too much, too soon for Buckley and if given the chance, Covington should be able to out-grapple and out-work Buckley on the ground, eventually wearing him down.</p> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Colby Covington.</p> <p><strong>Method of victory betting tip: </strong>Unanimous decision.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>How to Watch UFC Fight Night in Australia</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In Australia, UFC streams on the UFC Fight Pass. This subscription allows fight fans Down under to soak up all the action.,</p> <p>Pay-per-view UFC events as well as other UFC events are also available on streaming service Kayo Sports.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Covington vs Buckley Fight Date and Time Australia</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Date:</strong> Sunday, December 15, 2024.</p> <p><strong>Start time: </strong>2:00pm AEDT.</p> <p><strong>Location: </strong>Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida.</p> <p><strong>Where to watch: </strong>Kayo Sports and UFC Fight Pass.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Not available in SA.&nbsp;</em></p>