Tampa, FL — With UFC Tampa being the final UFC event of 2024, promotion President and CEO Dana White was asked a litany of questions following the card, some about the night’s entertaining selection of fights, some about the promotion’s plans for 2025.
On the night’s main event, which ended early due to a cut sustained by welterweight Colby Covington (giving Joaquin Buckley his sixth consecutive victory), White suggested that in another locale, the bout would have continued.
“I was curious to see how it would go if it went five rounds, if it went later in the rounds. No doubt that was a bad cut, but that cut doesn’t get stopped in Vegas. That fight keeps going in Vegas.”
The cut, White added, was certainly bothering Covington, though he would later dispute the notion that the former interim champ was looking for a way out. “It was definitely bothering him. And literally, as soon as the corner would fix it, he’s waiting to walk out and he rips it open again and makes it start bleeding again. So that alone tells you that the cut was bothering him big time.”
Post-fight, Joaquin Buckley polled fans in Tampa as to who he should fight next: Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, or champ Belal Muhammad. By a slim margin, Usman appeared to be the crowd’s choice.
“Usman’s one of the best ever,” noted White, who said he hadn’t heard Buckley’s rather unique callout. “That fight doesn’t suck.”
White was less bullish on flyweight star Manel Kape getting a shot at Alexandre Pantoja. Despite campaigning heavily for a chance at gold, White dismissed the notion.
“No, he’s not getting a title shot. But we’ll definitely get him what he’s looking for.”
White told Cageside Press that he hadn’t heard of Michael Chandler calling for a fight with Covington at 170lbs, and was non-committal to the idea. He did light up when Michael Johnson’s knockout of Ottman Azaitar was brought up.
“Listen, tell me the last Michael Johnson fight that sucked. That guy came out in the first round guns a’blazing, he always tries to win, he’s a fun guy to watch,” exclaimed White. “Been here a long time, and I’m happy for him.”
As for 2025, Seattle has already been announced, and the UFC is currently working on a date in Brazil, White confirmed. Spain remains a goal as well, with White preferring to put on a Pay-Per-View card for the promotion’s Spanish debut, rather than a Fight Night. There’s more on tap as well. A surprise of some sort, it seems.
“I’ve got something in the works right now, I’ll drive you f*ckers crazy. All you guys will be running around,” teased White. “I’ve got something in the works that you will never see coming for 2025, that literally started to come together last night. We’ve got some fun stuff coming up.”
Watch the full UFC Tampa post-fight press conference with Dana White above.
