UFC Fight Night odds, predictions, time, Tampa card: Covington vs. Buckley picks from proven MMA expert

Two top-10 UFC welterweights clash when sixth-ranked Colby Covington meets ninth-ranked Joaquin Buckley at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley in Tampa, Fla. The preliminary UFC fight card at Amalie Arena is expected to get underway around 7 p.m. ET, with the main card starting around 10 p.m. ET. Covington, a former interim welterweight champion, is stepping in as a replacement for Ian Machado Garry. Garry was pulled to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Buckley is coming off Performance of the Night honors in a third-round knockout of Stephen Thompson at UFC 307 this past October.

Buckley is a -260 favorite (risk $260 to win $100), while Covington is priced at +210 (risk $100 to win $210) in the latest UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley odds. In the co-main event, featherweight fighters take the spotlight as Cub Swanson (+125) takes on Billy Quarantillo (-150). Before making any UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley picks, be sure to see the UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s Daniel Vithlani.

Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.

His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps is way up.

Now, Vithlani has studied Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. You can only see Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley picks at SportsLine. 

Covington vs. Buckley preview

Covington, 36, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 296 last December. Covington has lost his last three bouts with the welterweight title on the line after having first won the interim title in June 2018. He was later stripped of the crown due to injury. He is a two-time Fight of the Night honors.

Covington began his professional career in February 2012, and made his UFC debut in August 2014. He won his first eight fights and 15 of his first 16. In 21 career matches, Covington has compiled a 17-4 mark. He has nine wins by decision, four by knockout and four by submission. He has registered the fifth-most strikes landed in UFC welterweight division history at 1,972. Check out SportsLine to see his picks and analysis.

In the meantime, Buckley, 30, has been on a roll, earning wins in each of his last five fights since returning to the welterweight division in May 2023. He began his professional career in September 2014, knocking out Wesley Sullivan at 3:46 of the first round. He made his middleweight debut in September 2019 with a first-round knockout of Chris Harris at LFA 76. After starting off his career 10-2, he joined UFC in August 2020.

At middleweight, he earned four Performance of the Night honors, and earned the 2020 MMA Knockout of the Year with a second-round KO of Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night: Morales vs. Sandhagen. He used a spinning back kick to secure the win. It was his first win in UFC, and he has gone on to win nine of his 12 bouts since. In 26 career matches, he has compiled a 20-6 mark with 14 wins by knockout and six by decision. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.

UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley predictions

We’ll reveal one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley selections here: He is backing Michael Johnson (-210) to defeat Ottoman Azaitar (+175) in a lightweight matchup on the preliminary card.

“Johnson is the far more skilled boxer,” Vithlani told SportsLine. “The 38-year-old has a ton of high-level UFC experience, sharing the octagon with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, and even has a win over Dustin Poirier. The concern in backing Johnson is his ability to take damage at this late stage in his career. Johnson got cracked and knocked out cold by veteran Diego Ferreira in 2023. However, he looked sharp prior to taking that punch and has since rebounded nicely with a win. Azaitar has knockout power in his hands, but can get sloppy with his technique. His overall MMA talent is not on Johnson’s level. Johnson should be able to avoid damage and outclass Azaitar.” See more UFC picks at SportsLine.

How to make UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley picks

Vithlani has strong picks for Covington vs. Buckley and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley card. He’s also backing a fighter whose “slick kickboxing style” will lead to a massive victory. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.

Who wins UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out. 

UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley main fight card, odds 

See full UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Buckley picks, predictions, best bets here.

Colby Covington (+210) vs. Joaquin Buckley (-260)
Cub Swanson (+125) vs. Billy Quarantillo (-150)
Manel Kape (-370) vs. Bruno Silva (+290)
Vitor Petrino (-330) vs. Dustin Jacoby (+260)
Adrian Yanez (+180) vs. Daniel Macos (-220)
Navajo Stirling (-800) vs. Tuco Tokkos (+550)