Overview
- UFC officials confirmed Monday that Covington notified the promotion of his retirement, and his fighter page was updated to list him as retired.
- The 38-year-old was removed from the active roster in a broader update that also took Mayra Bueno Silva, Brad Riddell and Nathan Fletcher off the list.
- He leaves with a 17-5 professional record (12-5 in the UFC) after a doctor-stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024, one year after falling to Leon Edwards in a title fight.
- Covington has shifted to the Real American Freestyle wrestling league and is scheduled to face Chris Weidman on May 30, though reporting says a UFC contract freeze could delay any MMA move elsewhere.
- Coverage links the decision to months of public complaints about inactivity and his omission from the June 14 Freedom 250 event at the White House, framing a tense end to a polarizing career.