Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette, and more MLB stars attend UFC on ESPN Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley (Source – Instagram/UFC & IMAGN)
Aaron Judge was the biggest MLB name in attendance to watch UFC on ESPN: Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley, the final event of the promotion in 2024. In addition to the New York Yankees captain, several other stars from the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and free agents were also present to watch Saturday’s fight night event in Tampa Bay, Florida, at the Amalie Arena.
Yesterday, the UFC’s official Instagram page shared pictures of all the big names from MLB in attendance, captioning the post:
“Offseason by the Octagon ⚾️.”
Aaron Judge kept it casual with a black shirt over a black tee, paired with jeans. Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow also opted for a relaxed look, attending the event with his girlfriend, Meghan Murphy.
Free agent Pete Alonso, a four-time All-Star with the New York Mets, was all smiles at Amalie Arena, accompanied by his wife, Haley. Blue Jays star Bo Bichette, son of former MLB player Dante Bichette, was also at the event.
Dressed in an elegant black shirt and jeans, Bichette expressed his excitement about the event. He was seated alongside Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan. Aaron Judge’s Yankees teammate Clark Schmidt was at the venue as well.
Schmidt had previously attended UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden alongside teammates Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe. Notably, Wells shared a clip of Donald Trump’s walkout on his Instagram story during that event.
Joe Musgrove, Jack Flaherty, and Dylan Cease, who attended UFC 310, were notably absent at Tampa Bay. UFC 310 took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, relatively near the residences of Musgrove, Flaherty, and Cease, as they currently play or have previously played for California-based MLB teams.
UFC champion doesn’t know Aaron Judge
Along with Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge is the biggest name in the MLB. Even though Ohtani’s fame is global, Judge seems to have equal, if not more, popularity in the U.S.
Funnily enough, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones doesn’t know either Judge or Ohtani. Jones’ lack of knowledge about them came to light during an interview preceding Jones’ title fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. When asked who would win a hypothetical MMA fight between Judge and Ohtani, Albuquerque native Jones replied he didn’t know them.
Nevertheless, the Yankees captain must have enjoyed the fights at the recently concluded UFC on ESPN 63. Joaquin Buckley dismantled former interim welterweight champion and three-time undisputed title challenger Colby Covington en route to a doctor stoppage.
Dustin Jacoby, Cub Swanson and Michael Johnson secured scintillating knockout victories at the event. Swanson’s fight with Billy Quarantillo kept fans at the edge of their seats and rightfully won the Fight of the Night honors. Jacoby and Johnson won Performance of the Night bonuses. Manel Kape also had a stunning performance against Bruno Gustavo da Silva.
