Colby Covington admits ’50-50′ chance in UFC return despite shock retirement

Three-time UFC title challenger Colby Covington isn’t shutting the door on reversing his MMA retirement amidst his latest endeavors.

Colby Covington raised eyebrows when he reportedly approached the UFC brass to inform them of his decision to retire from Mixed Martial Arts. After a long layoff stemming from a December 2024 loss to Joaquin Buckley and his exclusion from the upcoming White House card, Covington opted to hang up the gloves.

Reactions to Covington’s retirement have been mixed in the days after the news broke. Two of Covington’s former rivals, Kamaru Usman and Tyron Woodley, didn’t exactly wish the polarizing star well as he transitions into retirement.

But Covington still aims to play a big role in Real American Freestyle, an upstart wrestling-only promotion, and will face former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman this weekend. Despite the recent news, Covington isn’t exactly ruling out eventually returning to the UFC if the opportunity presents itself.

Colby Covington reveals potential future UFC return after abrupt retirement

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Covington revealed the backstory behind his UFC retirement.

“I had a good meeting with Hunter (Campbell), and we just talked about the future, and we talked about everything that’s been done and all the business we’ve done, and it was a productive meeting,” Covington said.

“I just said that I’m very thankful for everything the UFC has allowed me to do in my life and all the blessings I’ve received from them, but this is the next step in my combat sports career, which is to do wrestling full-time, my first true love and passion. I started wrestling when I was in diapers and was a little kid. Now I can get back to doing what I love the most, and that’s wrestling. This was my first love.

“I wasn’t let go,” Covington continued. “I’m still a UFC fighter. I’ll always be a UFC fighter. If I come back to fight again, it will be in the UFC. … It’s 50-50. I don’t think I have (fought my last MMA fight) because I have a lot left in the tank. I know there’s a lot of good miles still left on the tread, but I don’t know. I can’t predict the future. Only God knows that. I trust God’s plan, and I’m just going to keep following on the journey the way he intended me to go.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

Covington’s last UFC win came against former teammate and friend Jorge Masvidal in the UFC 272 main event. He’s since lost fights to Leon Edwards and Buckley before announcing his retirement.

What is your favorite memory from Colby Covington’s UFC career? Let us know in the comments!