Covington says UFC exit was temporary, demands big fights to end retirement

Colby Covington has distanced himself from the label of retired fighter, insisting his exit from the UFC after a 2024 defeat to Joaquin Buckley was a strategic pause rather than a farewell to mixed martial arts.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Covington said frustration over matchmaking — including his omission from UFC Freedom 250 — drove him toward Real American Freestyle wrestling, where he has gone 4-0 and claimed the promotion’s inaugural cruiserweight crossover championship with a win over Arman Tsarukyan.

“I’m technically retired, technically, but that was just the red proverbial tape I needed to get by so I could get the biggest matchups in RAF,” Covington said. “Everybody knows my first love and passion was always wrestling. I wasn’t getting any fights in the UFC. They weren’t really offering me the fights that I want. I wouldn’t say I’m fully retired. I would just say that we’re on a temporary break as I pursue my interest and first love and passion for wrestling at the RAF.”

Covington made clear, however, that only significant opportunities would draw him back to the Octagon. The former welterweight title challenger said he has no interest in returning for mid-card bouts, but would entertain substantial offers from the UFC.

“I’m willing to entertain big and huge offers from the UFC and big fights,” he said. “But if not, you know, it’s OK. I’m at peace.”

That sense of contentment appears genuine. Covington reflected on a career that brought him to a UFC title shot, arguing he has little left to prove in MMA. “Not a lot of people are ever going to win a world title in the UFC. I reached the mountaintop. I did it all. At what point do you need to walk away?”

Whether the UFC moves to meet Covington’s conditions remains to be seen, but his comments confirm that the door to a comeback has not been closed — only left ajar.