A showdown of top-10 welterweights will close out 2024 in the UFC when Ian Machado Garry takes on Joaquin Buckley.
The fight is set to headline the promotion’s final event of the year, UFC on ESPN 63, on Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., the UFC announced Friday on social media.
Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), No. 7 in the official UFC rankings at 170 pounds, will look for his third win of 2024 as he tries to maintain his perfect record. In 2024, Machado Garry has beaten Geoff Neal by split decision at UFC 298 and Michael Page by unanimous decision at UFC 303.
Buckley (20-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who’s ranked No. 9, will try for his fourth victory of 2024 as he looks to continue climbing the ranks of the division since he moved back down from welterweight in May 2023. Buckley’s wins in 2024 include two longtime staples of the division, Vicente Luque by TKO and most recently a knockout of Stephen Thompson.
With the addition, here’s the current UFC on ESPN 63 lineup:
- Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
- Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick
- Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
- Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
- Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras
- Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
- Ottman Azaitar vs. Michael Johnson
- Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.
