Covington earned his keep in the UFC with a forward-moving, volume-striking attack that opened opportunities for his standout wrestling, achieving few wins by stoppage but proving time and again to be adept at outlasting opponents over the course of three- and five-round fights.

Buckley is the betting favorite going into UFC on ESPN 63 after going on a 5-0 run since dropping to the welterweight division. There are many questions around Covington, who hasn’t competed since a December 2023 title-fight loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, which came on the heels of an almost two-year layoff.