UFC Tampa opening odds: Ian Garry jumps out to early (and sizable) favorite over Joaquin Buckley

Undefeated welterweight phenom Ian Garry will battle veteran knockout artist Joaquin Buckley atop the UFC Tampa mixed martial arts (MMA) event, a five-round showdown recently made official for Sat., Dec. 14, 2024 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

And he’ll do it as the -260 betting favorite.

That’s according to our fiscal friends over at BetOnline.ag, who pegged Buckley as the +220 underdog. As with all opening lines, you can expect these numbers to fluctuate (in both directions) as we get closer to fight night — but expect “The Future” to remain the favorite.

Both combatants are ranked within the Top 10 at 170 pounds.

The promotion was originally hoping to book Garry against former champion Kamaru Usman, or even three-time title challenger Colby Covington. Unfortunately, neither fighter was interested in facing the 26 year-old Irishman next month in “The Sunshine State.”

I guess their respective bellies are full.

UFC Tampa will also feature the strawweight showdown between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. Elsewhere on the card, Dustin Jacoby battles Vitor Petrino at 205 pounds, not long after Manel Kape and Bruno Silva face off in the flyweight division.

Expect more UFC Tampa fight card announcements in the coming days.