Colby Covington | A Fighter At Heart
"Chaos" Talks His Seventh Consecutive Main Event This Saturday At UFC Tampa
It wasn’t that long ago that Colby Covington was wondering if he was going to wake up the day after a fight and be unemployed. Actually, it was a long time ago – over eight years – since the welterweight contender was winning, but not moving the needle, and thinking about his next move.
Fast forward to December of 2024, and “Chaos” is the guy the UFC called to step in on short notice to meet Joaquin Buckley in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event in Tampa. If you’re keeping score at home, it’s his seventh consecutive headlining appearance.
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You’ve come a long way, Mr. Covington.
“It's very satisfying,” he said. “In this company, you eat what you kill. So they've given me this opportunity to headline this event and I'm the one that did the work. All these other fighters, they love to complain. ‘Oh, I feel bad for me, the UFC's not doing nothing to promote me.’ Dude, go out there and promote yourself. That's what I was able to do. I promoted myself, I marketed myself and I wasn't afraid to take the road less traveled. And I always tell everybody, it's not about making friends, it's about making money. And December 14th, I'm going to put on a great show for the fans. I'm going to sell out that arena. I'm going to show the company my worth, that I'm the ultimate company man, and that they can rely on me at any time. It doesn't matter if it's short notice or not.”
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The fight is short notice, but it’s been a long time since the 36-year-old has been in the Octagon. A year ago, almost to the day, Covington dropped a five-round decision to then-champion Leon Edwards in Las Vegas. It was a bitter defeat thanks to an early foot injury that kept him from testing the Brit, and instead of jumping right back into the fray, Covington dialed everything back, healed up and focused on life outside the Octagon. That included some campaign work for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Colby Covington | Top Finishes
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Colby Covington | Top Finishes
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“I was on the campaign trail as much as possible to just be a small little fraction of a help to the campaign in any way I could,” said Covington. “I wanted to volunteer my services because President Trump has done so much for me in my career that I could never repay him even if I worked the rest of my life for him.”
He also got to eat a little bit while not having to worry about making the cut to 170 pounds.
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“That's always nice, too, to eat and not have to cut weight,” Covington laughs. “That's always fun. It was a little bit more lax schedule and I got to enjoy life again. The biggest thing is when you're in training camps and you're just preparing fight to fight, you don't get to really enjoy the fruits of the labor and get to enjoy life. So it was fun to enjoy some downtime, but now I'm ready to get back to work. I'm ready to put this division on my back and I'm ready to come up and step up and save the day for the UFC.”
For all the bluster, Covington is a fighter at heart, and you can hear it in his voice that he’s been waiting to punch somebody in the face for a while. Still, the call to step in and face Buckley came as a surprise when the St. Louis native saw his original foe – Ian Machado Garry – get moved to last weekend’s title eliminator with Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“I was enjoying life,” said Covington. “I was literally in Dallas at an event, and they called and they needed a hero, someone to save the day, and I'm just that guy. I'm a guy that prides myself on staying ready at all times. I don't have to get ready, so they could call me on a day's notice. I'm coming out to fight for this company, the company that gave me everything that I have today. So I'm always prepared. I wasn't preparing strategically in a fight camp, but I am prepared and they're going to see the best Colby “Chaos” Covington on December 14th.”
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Always be selling. Whether he says it or not, it’s been Covington’s way of life since his 2017 win over Demian Maia in Brazil. That approach – not to mention what he’s done inside the Octagon – has changed his life and career. Not surprisingly, it’s turned some folks off, but it’s also garnered him a legion that tunes in to watch him fight – whether it’s to see him win…or lose.
Any regrets?
Colby Covington Fight Week Interview | UFC Tampa
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Colby Covington Fight Week Interview | UFC Tampa
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“No regrets,” Covington said. “Because if I had regrets then I wouldn't be who I am. So, no regrets. Everything that's happened has happened for a reason and I truly believe this is God's plan for me.”
It is funny how things have turned out, though. And after recently celebrating his 10th anniversary on the roster, Covington has already achieved the longevity in the promotion he didn’t know was a probability early in his UFC run.
“Man, I think I'd be a liar if I truly said I'd be picturing that I'd be living this American dream,” he admits. “That was always my dream and I believed in myself, but I don't think I could ever imagine that I'd be this far and be with such a prestigious company, the number one fight organization on planet Earth. And just to be a part of this company for 10 years, it's been the greatest honor of my life and I’ve had such a fun ride. It's taken me all over the world as a kid. I just wanted to travel the world and compete, and that's what UFC's allowed me to do. I've been to every country, almost every continent. So it's been a dream come true and I'm so thankful. It's been the funnest ride of my life.”
It’s not over yet. This weekend, it’s a short ride from Miami to Tampa for another fight, another main event. And if there are those wondering if Covington is still relevant after three title fight losses and a year away, consider that during the last 12 months, the big names in the welterweight division are still talking about him.
Relevant? Oh yeah.
“My last fight was a complete disappointment, breaking my foot in three places in the first 30 seconds,” said Covington. “So I want to show that I'm still the best welterweight on planet Earth.