Colby Covington Retires From UFC Competition

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Colby Covington Retires From UFC Competition

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated May 20, 2026 9:17 AM ET

Colby Covington appears to have officially closed the chapter on his UFC career. On Monday, UFC officials changed Covington’s status from “active” to “retired” on the promotion’s official roster page, signaling the end of one of the most polarizing runs in modern MMA.

The roster move was first noticed by the UFC Roster Tracker account on X. Covington retires with a UFC record of 12-5 across 17 appearances inside the Octagon. The 38-year-old built his career around relentless pressure wrestling, cardio, trash talk and controversy, earning major victories over:

Rafael dos Anjos
Robbie Lawler
Tyron Woodley
Jorge Masvidal

Covington captured interim welterweight gold during his run but never managed to secure the undisputed championship.

He went 0-3 in title fights against:

Kamaru Usman (twice)
Leon Edwards

Inactivity Played Major Role

Colby Covington has informed UFC officials of his decision to retire, per @bokamotoESPN. pic.twitter.com/oxSP3fouZv

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 19, 2026

In recent years, Covington became increasingly inactive. He fought just once after December 2023 and frequently voiced frustration publicly regarding fight offers and matchmaking.

Covington also openly criticized the UFC for leaving him off the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 card scheduled for June 14 at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Despite stepping away from MMA competition, Covington has remained involved in combat sports. He is still scheduled to compete in a wrestling match against Chris Weidman at RAF 9 on May 30 in Arlington, Texas.

One Of MMA’s Most Polarizing Personalities

Love him or hate him, Covington became one of the UFC’s most talked-about fighters during his prime years. He was among the first prominent MMA stars to fully embrace a MAGA political persona and publicly align himself with President Donald Trump.

His inflammatory trash talk often generated headlines far beyond the sport itself and helped make him one of the UFC’s biggest heels during the late 2010s and early 2020s.

As of Monday, Covington has not publicly commented on the retirement designation. Whether this marks a permanent exit or simply another twist in the career of one of MMA’s most controversial figures remains to be seen.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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