No ‘Nigerian Nightmares’ as Irish prospect Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley headlines UFC Tampa

Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley will headline UFC Tampa (UFC on ESPN 63) in Florida in December; leaving Kamaru Usman off the cards.

No ‘Nigerian Nightmares’ as Irish prospect Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley headlines UFC Tampa

Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley to headline UFC Tampa; no Kamaru Usman in sight (Source: X)

UFC 310 has suffered a major blow as welterweight champion Belal Muhammad pulled out of his title fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov. Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley are now up for UFC Tampa. This means that there is hope for Kamaru Usman to save the UFC 310 card in an interim title bout against Rakhmonov.

Ian Machado Garry will have to beat at least one more contender on his way to his first UFC title shot. A showdown of top-10 welterweights will close out 2024 when he meets knockout sensation Joaquin Buckley. With the UFC 310 headlining bout falling apart, both had pitched in as replacements. Soon after, Kamaru Usman also joined Garry and Buckley to ask for the interim shot.

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There were also rumors on the mill that the Irish welterweight might finally have his grudge match against Colby Covington at Tampa. Even ‘New Mansa’ called out the former UFC top pound-for-pound Usman. But with him telling the No. 9-ranked welterweight contender to “get in line,” Usman vs. Buckley was out of the question. However, Buckley received another high-profile opponent in Garry.

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The scene at welterweight is super-packed and highly convoluted right now. More so than 155lbs this past year. Veterans like Gilbert Burns or Stephen Thompson recently faced defeats. Returning longstays like ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ or Covington want to go back in. Garry and Buckley both have a winning streak and they aim for the title bout, leaving veterans behind.

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Ian Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley: What to expect

Ian Machado Garry takes on Joaquin Buckley to close out the year at UFC Tampa in what could be a pure striking clinic or a tactful business. The bout will headline the final event of the year, UFC on ESPN 63, on December 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Ian Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley could be a barnburner for the sweet top spot
Ian Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley could be a barnburner for the sweet top spot (Source: agfight.com/UFC.go.com)

Ian Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) beat Geoff Neal by split decision at UFC 298. No. 7 in the official UFC rankings at 170 pounds will look for his third win of 2024, joining the likes of Alex Pereira and Diego Lopes. Garry, 26, then snagged a lackluster unanimous decision despite intelligent wrestle-heavy timing. He went up against point-striker Michael Page at the UFC 303 PPV event.

Joaquin Buckley looks for his fourth win in 2024 as he continues to climb the ranks since dropping in May 2023. Buckley’s victories in 2024 include a TKO of division stalwart Vicente Luque and a knockout of Stephen Thompson. Over 18 months, “New Mansa” has compiled a perfect 5-0 record inside the cage. After the important win over ‘Wonderboy’, he remains one or two wins away from a title shot.

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This welterweight clash between Garry and Buckley is unlikely to be tagged as an official UFC title eliminator. At this point, Jack Della Maddalena has a case as he is ranked ahead of both of them after UFC 299. But if either man can win brutally, they are certainly candidates to skip the line for 2025.