Spain’s winning goal, scored by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, settled a final Argentina had been unable to turn into a shootout. Across 120 minutes, Argentina failed to register a shot, allowing Spain to dictate the rhythm from start to finish.
Buffer called the final “very tactical” and compared its one-sided nature with Justin Gaethje’s victory over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250.
“As good a team as they were, they couldn't pull the trigger,” Buffer said. “That's what happens in sports. It's kind of like Gaethje-Topuria - two fantastic fighters, two fantastic teams, one domination.”
The comparison carried extra weight after Buffer’s remarkable month. On 14 June, he announced UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn, where all seven fights ended inside the distance and Gaethje dethroned the previously unbeaten Topuria.
“It was an honour to be on the White House lawn,” Buffer said. “The fights that night were incredible.”
The month then took a darker turn in Las Vegas. Conor McGregor’s return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 ended just over a minute in after McGregor suffered a right knee injury and lost by TKO. Buffer acknowledged the disappointment while underlining the scale of the event.
Eight days later, Buffer moved from International Fight Week to the World Cup final, working alongside his brother Michael. Their shared appearance became what Buffer called the “Buff-off”, while his broader view of the tournament centred on its ability to unite supporters.
“It's about bringing the countries together,” he said. “It's about love. It's about peace.”
Buffer’s next scheduled assignment is UFC Fight Night in Belgrade on 1 August, where another kind of sporting drama awaits.