The welterweight division of the UFC is in the middle of a significant change. With new names like Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, and Jack Della Maddalena as the new welterweight champion, it seems that a new age has taken over the UFC’s 170-pound division. Veterans are fighting to defend their legacies and maintain their rankings. And as we talk about their survival, a veteran of the sport comes to mind, one who used to cause ‘Chaos’ wherever he went. is now has 2 wins and 4 losses in his last six fights. He was once a fan favorite, but now he’s a shadow of his former self.
Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington once had a tight grasp over the welterweight division. The former interim welterweight champion has beaten prominent names of the division like Demian Maia and Robbie Lawler. His interim crowning moment came against the former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. After that, he fought Kamaru Usman for the first time, in a fight that is for history to rejoice and celebrate, he lost to him by knockout in the last round. Then he didn’t know that this was his last day, this close to glory.
November 1, 2019, New York, New York, USA: Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington during the UFC 245 press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Madison Square Garden. UFC 245: Press Conference PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMA 94726323st Copyright: xJasonxSilvax
In the following bouts, Covington earned himself another title shot after beating Tyron Woodley and then lost to the champion, Usman again, this time by unanimous decision. For his final victory in the UFC, Covington fought and dominantly beat Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision, after which nothing remained the same. Somehow Colby earned a title shot against Leon Edwards, where he was outclassed by the ‘Rocky’ and then his TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024. This run exposed the truth behind Covington, leading many to label him ‘overrated’. Former title challenger Gilbert Burns carried the same sentiment as he targeted Covington.
Brazilian welterweight Burns sat down on Usman and Henry Cejudo‘s podcast ‘Pound-4-Pound’ where he revealed he feels like Covington is the most overrated fighter. ‘Durinho’ said, “Yeah Covington is overrated. Covington is an easy fight for anyone in the top 10. Easiest fight. Right now, not when you [Usman] fought him but right now.”
Burns also said that Covington does not want the fight against him, stating: “Great, amazing fight! But I don’t think he wants that.” Re-igniting a long lost rivalry with now being the perfect time for both to settle it. So will we see Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns fight? Only time can tell.
However, the ‘Chaos’ always manages to gain himself a spotlight and some attention. Recently he got involved in two beefs with which he yet again, sparked a controversy in the MMA community. To find out more, lets read further.
Colby Covington’s beefs in 2025.
Despite being 2-4 in his last six fights, despite having no fights scheduled this year as of now, Covington still remains a talking point in the MMA community more through his antics and less through his title contention. With a title shot being a million miracles away, Colby knows what he has to do in order to stay relevant and still be the big money fight he used to be, just in case when the duty calls.
After shocking the world and beating Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett was being congratulated by every veteran and enthusiast present in the building. Covington, chose a different route, as soon as he saw the Scouser, ‘Chaos’ started lashing out at him, he questioned the caliber of Pimblett’s opponents, prompting Pimblett to retaliate by highlighting Covington’s recent losing streak. Pimblett, fresh off a dominant TKO over Michael Chandler, dismissed Covington as “irrelevant” and accused him of seeking attention.
Even more recently, during the UFC 315 build-ups, Covington attempted to mock the former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad by claiming to have hidden Muhammad’s lunch at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas as ‘Bully B’ was actually in Montreal at the time. When asked about how he felt about the illogical prank. ‘Remember The Name’ didn’t have a lot say about Covington as gave a one word answer calling him a, “moron” for his actions.
With all this being said, one has to wonder what kind of prank or attack Colby Covington will pull off on the UFC roster next. However the more concerned fans, who actually expect and want to see him compete are asking who is he going to fight next or if he even has that passion and grit left for the sport or not. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
The post ‘Overrated’ Colby Covington Lands on Veteran UFC Welterweight’s Radar in ‘Easiest’ Top 10 Fight Callout appeared first on EssentiallySports.
