Colby Covington, a 35-year-old contender and promotional lightning rod, is at a crucial point in his career. It’s time for him to either put up or shut up.
He’s set to challenge Leon Edwards for the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title. The fight is the main event at UFC 296, taking place on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Covington enters the Octagon with an impressive record, having won most of his past 11 bouts.
Representing MMA Masters, Covington has a 12-3 record in the UFC. His resume is bolstered by victories over former welterweight champions Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley.
As Covington prepares for his upcoming fight with Edwards, it’s worth looking back at his career. There are several key moments that have come to define him.
One such moment was his fight against Warlley Alves, the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 3. Alves submitted Covington with a first-round guillotine choke during the UFC 194 undercard in 2015. Despite Covington’s attempts to escape, he had no choice but to tap out. This remains the only submission loss of Covington’s 20-fight career.
Covington continued to climb the welterweight ladder, defeating Demian Maia in 2017. After the fight, Covington caused controversy with his comments about Brazil and its people.
In 2018, Covington won the interim welterweight title after a five-round unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos. The fight was closely contested, with Covington executing repeated takedowns.
However, Covington fell short in his fight against Kamaru Usman in 2021. Despite a cautious approach, Covington lost to Usman in a unanimous decision.
Most recently, Covington defeated former teammate Jorge Masvidal in a unanimous decision in 2022. Covington’s strategy of repeated takedowns and high-volume output proved successful, leading to his victory.