In the main event of the final UFC show of the year, No. 9 Joaquin Buckley held off No. 6 Colby Covington for nearly three rounds, forcing a medical stoppage. Buckley looked nearly flawless in the fight.

Buckley suffered a nasty cut on Covington’s right eyelid in the first round and things went downhill from there for the former interim champion.

Buckley blocked most of Covington’s takedown attempts during the fight.

Covington secured one in the second and another in the third, but both times Buckley was able to get back to his feet without taking damage.

As the cut on Covington’s eyelid worsened, it was clear that the Octagon doctor would stop the fight. Buckley’s shorts and legs were soaked with Covington’s blood and Covington tried to prolong the fight sequences to prevent his eye from sustaining more damage.

It wasn’t successful.

At the 4:42 mark of the third round, the doctor stopped the fight. Although the official result was a TKO by the doctor, there was no doubt in Tampa who was the better man.

The victorious Buckley almost erased Covington’s grappling advantage, landing 75 significant strikes, 37 for the loser. After the fight, Buckley showed an increasingly strong post-fight interview game.

After receiving a lot of criticism for his comments in the past, this time Buckley conducted a quick fan reaction survey to determine the target of his comment. Buckley gave fans Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad.

Usman’s fans were the loudest, which is good as it’s the most realistic option.

Unfortunately, Buckley may not receive this request. There are rumors that Usman may face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 312 in Sydney in February.

Stay tuned.

Here’s a look at the rest of the results.

Cub Swanson defeated Billy Quarantillo by knockout at 1:36 of round 3

One of the greatest fighters in UFC history who never won a championship put on a stunning performance. In one fight, 41-year-old Swanson knocked out Billy Quarantillo.

Swanson didn’t retire as some might have expected, but he sparked plenty of backlash from his colleagues.

Manel Kape defeated Bruno Silva by TKO (punches) at 1:57 of round 3.

With an impressive TKO finish from Bruno Silva, Kape secured Alexandre Pantoja’s next title shot.

Kape fought through three low blows from Silva and secured the goal.

• Dustin Jacoby defeated Vitor Petrino by KO (straight right hand) at 3:44 of round 3

• Daniel Marcos defeats Adrian Yanez via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
• Navajo Stirling defeats Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Michael Johnson defeated Ottman Azaitar by KO (right hook) at 2:03 of round 2

Johnson concluded the preliminary round with a thunderous knockout. The 38-year-old veteran made it clear that he will not be retiring anytime soon and has now won two fights in a row.

• Joel Álvarez defeated Drakkar Klose by KO (flying knee) at 2:48 of round 1

Álvarez looks like a future title contender, even if he’s not a lightweight. He destroyed Drakkar Klose with a flying knee, causing him to fall into the guillotine. However, Klose was already injured in his knee.

Alvarez says 170 pounds is inevitable for him. We’ll see if Alvarez’s next fight is at 155 or 170.

• Sean Woodson defeated Fernando Padilla by TKO (punches) at 4:58 of round 1

Woodson wanted to finish in the first round. He achieved great success with an incredible combination that gave him the knockout win against Padilla.

• Felipe Lima defeats Miles Johns via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Miranda Maverick defeats Jamey-Lyn Horth via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Davey Grant defeats Ramon Taveras by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Piera Rodriguez defeats Josefine Knutsson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

UFC Tampa Bonus Winner

Jacoby’s upset knockout earned him a bonus, as did Johnson’s explosive finish. The main event between Swanson and Quarantillo was the fight of the night.