Joaquin Buckley hunting for finish against Colby Covington in UFC on ESPN 63 headliner

Joaquin Buckley’s approach against Colby Covington will be no different.

Buckley (20-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) meets former interim welterweight champion Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner on Dec. 14 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Covington has only been stopped by strikes once in his career – a TKO stoppage to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245, which he contested was too early. Buckley, who’s knocked out three of his past five opponents, will look to be the first to shut Covington’s lights off.

“He will argue that he wasn’t knocked out, that he wasn’t finished, and he’s right,” Buckley told Middle Easy. “He wasn’t knocked out unconscious. I really feel like for me, though, and the style that I bring, we’re two types of fighters who want to take the middle of the cage and really impose our will.

“So we’re going to figure out who does the best job at that and figure out who makes it to the judges’ cards or who doesn’t. I hate going to the judges. My biggest thing is, I always want to get the finish, and I’m always fighting hard to get the finish – so we’ll see.”

But above just about anything else, Buckley thinks he’s already the type of fighter who should get a title shot – and a big win over Covington might seel the deal.

“I really feel like it wouldn’t be no arguments once I go out there and put on a dominant performance on Colby Covington. It’s just, yet again: Why not give me an opportunity to fight for the title?” Buckley said.

“You know it’s going to be fun to watch. Whether I win, lose, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it’s the entertainment business. So why not give me the chance and opportunity to fight for the belt?”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.