Kamaru Usman has offered his thoughts on the circumstances that may have led to Colby Covington’s retirement from the UFC. Recent reports indicate that Covington has been marked as retired in the UFC’s official athlete database, a development confirmed by various media outlets.
Usman, who has a history of intense rivalries with Covington, believes that a “disconnect” between Covington and the UFC is the primary reason for his departure. Covington’s last official UFC bout was in 2024, where he suffered a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley due to a doctor’s stoppage. Following this defeat, Covington had expressed interest in participating in the UFC Freedom 250 event in 2026 and was rumored to be considering a move to middleweight to face Bo Nickal, though this fight did not materialize. Nickal himself suggested that Covington was reluctant to take the fight.
Further potential matchups for Covington, such as facing the winner of the Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Burns fight, also failed to come to fruition. Despite his inactivity in the UFC, Covington has remained active in other grappling promotions, securing wins against Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis, with an upcoming bout against Chris Weidman scheduled.
Covington had also sought to compete against Arman Tsarukyan under the Rizin Fighting Federation (RAF) banner. However, he claimed that the UFC did not approve of this move and was not offering him any fights. In recent months, Covington had been vocal in his criticism of the UFC for their perceived lack of matchmaking, a sentiment that Usman echoes as a likely catalyst for Covington’s retirement decision.
Kamaru Usman Believes a Lack of Fights is the Reason for Covington’s UFC Departure
Speaking on the podcast Pound 4 Pound, Kamaru Usman articulated his belief that Colby Covington’s decision to part ways with the UFC stems from his inability to secure fights consistently. Usman stated:
“Covington has not been getting that frequency of activity; it’s not that he can’t compete, because we know he can compete. Because he’s competing at RAF and he’s doing pretty well. There is some type of disconnect between Covington and the UFC, and why they can’t get him in there, or why he isn’t getting fights he wants.”
Usman also lauded Covington’s ability to draw attention, noting that regardless of personal feelings, fans are compelled to watch his fights. “The Nigerian Nightmare” maintains that Covington possesses the capability to compete at a high level, despite his current status.
