Colby Covington has clarified the real reason behind his decision to retire from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Recent reports suggested that Covington, often referred to by his nickname “Chaos,” had decided to hang up his gloves following his last UFC bout in 2024 against Joaquin Buckley, a fight he lost via TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage.
Prior to this, Covington had expressed interest in participating in a potential White House card in 2026 and had even hinted at a move to the middleweight division. However, he did not secure a spot on the highly anticipated event. There were also discussions about a potential fight against Mike Malott, which never materialized, despite Malott’s victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC Winnipeg.
Many fans speculated that Covington’s retirement stemmed from a strained relationship with the UFC management, leading to difficulties in securing fights and ultimately pushing him to retire at the age of 38. However, Covington himself asserts that this was not the case.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Covington disclosed that his retirement from the UFC was a strategic move to fully dedicate himself to professional wrestling. Under the “Real American Freestyle” (RAF) banner, Covington has already secured victories against notable opponents like Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis. He was scheduled to return to RAF action against Chris Weidman.
Covington’s desire to compete against wrestlers like Arman Tsarukyan and other UFC fighters who are also part of RAF led to his decision. Since active UFC fighters are typically restricted from competing against each other outside the promotion, Covington opted to retire from the UFC to pursue these larger matchups in RAF without limitations.
He explained to Helwani, “This is the next step in my combat sports career: to join wrestling full-time. This was just the proverbial red tape that needed to be handled to clear up the biggest and best matches in RAF. Now there are no limitations on who I can wrestle. I want to wrestle Arman, I want to wrestle [Khamzat], I want to wrestle Marty Usman — we have unfinished business.”
Covington also indicated that should he ever decide to return to mixed martial arts, it would undoubtedly be under the UFC banner. He stated, “I’ll always be a UFC fighter. If I come back to fight again, it will be in the UFC… I know I have a lot left in the tank. I know there’s a lot of good miles still left on the tread.”
Expressing gratitude towards Dana White and Hunter Campbell for their support, Covington mentioned that he did not require any elaborate retirement tributes to feel recognized. He added, “It was just a formality, and Hunter gave me his blessing. It’s all good. It’s all love… I didn’t need one of these crazy retirement packages, ‘Look at me and look at what I did.’ I didn’t need that… I’m just moving on to bigger and better things.”
English Translation:
Colby Covington has explained to fans the true reason behind his decision to retire from the UFC. While recent news indicated that Covington had decided to hang up his gloves after his last UFC fight in 2024 against Joaquin Buckley, which he lost via TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage, the fighter himself has clarified his motivations.
Covington had previously expressed a desire to be part of a potential White House card in 2026 and had even hinted at moving up to middleweight. However, he did not find a place on the event. There was also talk of a fight against Mike Malott, which never materialized, even after Malott’s knockout win over Gilbert Burns at UFC Winnipeg.
Many believed that Covington’s retirement was a result of a strained relationship with the UFC brass, with the 38-year-old not getting fights as often as he desired. However, Covington states this was not the case.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Colby Covington confessed that he retired from the UFC to transition to full-time professional wrestling. This year, Covington has already secured wins under the “Real American Freestyle” (RAF) banner against Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis, and was set to return to the RAF mats against Chris Weidman.
Covington’s ambition to wrestle against fighters like Arman Tsarukyan and other UFC athletes who participate in RAF led to his retirement. Since active UFC fighters are generally not permitted to compete against each other outside the promotion, “Chaos” chose to retire to pursue bigger matchups in RAF without such restrictions.
He told Helwani: “This is the next step in my combat sports career: to join wrestling full-time. This was just the proverbial red tape that needed to be handled to clear up the biggest and best matches in RAF. Now there are no limitations on who I can wrestle. I want to wrestle Arman, I want to wrestle [Khamzat], I want to wrestle Marty Usman — we have unfinished business.”
In the same interview, “Chaos” added that if he ever returns to MMA, it would definitely be under the UFC’s banner. He stated: “I’ll always be a UFC fighter. If I come back to fight again, it will be in the UFC… I know I have a lot left in the tank. I know there’s a lot of good miles still left on the tread.”
Covington is thankful for what Dana White and Hunter Campbell have done for him and expressed that he doesn’t need a retirement tribute video to feel special. He added: “It was just a formality, and Hunter gave me his blessing. It’s all good. It’s all love… I didn’t need one of these crazy retirement packages, ‘Look at me and look at what I did.’ I didn’t need that… I’m just moving on to bigger and better things.”
