High-risk welterweight match between Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley grabs headlines as UFC returns to Tampa

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MACHADO GARRY vs. BUCKLEY will take place on Saturday, December 14th at the Amalie Arena. Prelims will be simulcast on ESPNNEWS and ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT. The main card will be simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN2 and ESPN+ beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The full card will also air on ESPN Desportes.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MACHADO GARRY vs. BUCKLEY Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

VIP Experience Packages are available through On Location, UFC’s official VIP experience provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, VIP weigh-in access, all-inclusive hospitality, meet-and-greets with UFC fighters and more. For more information, visit UFCVIP.com to view package details.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MACHADO GARRY vs. BUCKLEY will also serve as the UFC’s annual “Fight Like Hell” evening, honoring the legacy of late ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott by raising funds and awareness for the V Foundation’s Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. The show will feature vignettes from UFC athletes who have been personally affected by cancer, either directly or through family members or friends who have suffered from the disease.

Undefeated Machado Garry (15-0, fights from Dublin, Ireland over Belo Horizonte, Brazil) is looking to impress in his first UFC main event. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in all divisions and has victories over Michael Page, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. Machado Garry now wants to maintain his perfect record with a statement victory over Buckley.

Buckley (20-6, fight from St. Louis, Missouri) has been on fire since returning to welterweight in 2023. Buckley is the owner of some of the most impressive knockouts in UFC history and is currently on a five-fight winning streak, including wins over Stephen Thompson, Nursulton Ruziboev and Vicente Luque. He now looks to dislodge Machado Garry from the ranks of the undefeated in his first UFC main event.

Grappling ace Dern (14-5, fights in Huntington Beach, Calif.) has her sights set on breaking into the top five by becoming the first person to submit Ribas. A multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, she has proven her skills with wins against Loopy Godinez, Angela Hill and Nina Nunes. Dern now plans to match Ribas by delivering another exciting Octagon performance.

Ribas (12-5, fight against Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) hopes to end the year with a highlight victory. Ribas currently competes in both the UFC strawweight and flyweight divisions and has proven himself to be one of the best in the world with wins over Luana Pinheiro, Viviane Araujo and Virna Jandiroba. She now wants to prove that her victory over Dern in 2019 was no fluke.

Other fights on the card include:

• An exciting featherweight fight is taking place at the UFC Hall of Fame Young Swanson (29-14, fights in Palm Springs, Calif.) meets Billy Quarantillo (18-6, fights outside Tampa, Florida)
• No. 12 flyweight contender Tracy Cortez (11-2, fighting in Scottsdale, Arizona) puts her spot in the rankings on the line Miranda Maverick (16-5, fight at Highlands Ranch, Colorado)
• veteran Michael Johnson (23-19, fights in Boca Raton, Florida) will be looking to add another knockout to his resume when he competes Ottman Azaitar (13-2, fight outside Rabat, Morocco)
• No. 9 flyweight contender Manel Kape (19-7, Battles from Phuket, Thailand via Porto, Portugal) Battles #12 Bruno Silva (14-5-2 1NC, fight from Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Lightweights Joel Alvarez (21-3, fights outside Asturias, Spain) and Drakkar Klose (15-2-1, fight from Glendale, Arizona) Lock Horns
• Victor Petrino (11-1, fight from Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) and Dustin Jacoby (19-9-1, fighting from Springfield, Illinois) face off in a clash of light forwards
• Adrian Yanez (17-5, fight from La Porte, Texas) returns to fight against Daniel Marcos (16-0 1NC, fighting from Boca Raton, Florida via Lima, Peru) in an exciting bantamweight bout
• A bantamweight fight is looking Davey Grant (15-7, Battle of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England) Battle Ramon Taveras (10-2, fight from Jacksonville, Florida)
• Josephine Knutsson (8:0, fight against Bromma, Värmland, Sweden) wants to keep her unbeaten record against Piera Rodríguez (9-2, fight outside Malaga, Spain)
• Dana White’s Contender series Signatory Navajo Stirling (5-0, bout Auckland, New Zealand) is looking to make a statement in his UFC debut Tuco Tokkos (10-4, fight outside Lakeworth, Florida)
• Featherweights Sean Woodson (12-1-1, fight from St. Louis, Missouri) and Fernando Padilla (16-5, fighting from Chihuahua, Mexico) meet in an action-packed fight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All fights are live and subject to change. Please click here to register for the event.