Covington held the interim welterweight title and challenged for the world title three times in his UFC career
By Brent Brookhouse May 18, 2026 at 5:40 pm ET • 1 min read 
Getty Images Colby Covington, one of the most controversial fighters in UFC history, is retiring from active competition. As reports surfaced online on Monday, Covington's profile on the official UFC website was changed to list the fighter as "retired." UFC officials confirmed to CBS Sports that Covington has notified them of his retirement.
Covington made waves in his career with his brash personality and embrace of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" brand, making him a polarizing figure.
Covington started his UFC career with a 10-1 record, capturing the interim welterweight championship along the way and positioning himself for a championship bout with one of his career-defining rivals, Kamaru Usman.
Covington and Usman met for the first time at UFC 245, with Usman winning a grueling battle that ended with Covington suffering a broken jaw in a fifth-round TKO loss. After picking up a win over former champion Tyron Woodley, Covington got another crack at Usman, this time losing by decision at UFC 268.
Covington would only pick up one more victory in his UFC career, defeating another rival in Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 in March 2022. Covington and Masvidal's rivalry would have real-world consequences when Masvidal assaulted Covington at a restaurant in Miami just two weeks later. Masvidal pleaded no contest in the case.
Despite losses in his two follow-up fights, including another loss in a title fight, this time against Leon Edwards, Covington was aggressively pursuing a spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card, which will be held on the White House South Lawn on June 14. Despite Covington's entire persona being based on his admiration for President Trump, he was left to criticize the event after not being given a fight at the event.
Covington, 38, retires with a 17-5 professional record.
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