You no longer have to ask the question, “Why is Colby Covington still in the official UFC welterweight rankings?” He’s finally been removed.
With Mike Malott and Yaroslav Amosov entering the top 15, the latest edition of the UFC’s 170-pound rankings revealed Tuesday did not include Covington for the first time since 2017.
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Covington’s status as a top-15 welterweight came under scrutiny in January when UFC CEO Dana White agreed it was odd to have him still ranked (then at No. 14) in a stacked division considering his inactivity. Covington fought only once in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. His most recent fight was a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024, and he hasn’t won since defeating now-retired Jorge Masvidal in March 2022.
Covington shrugged off criticism from White and also fans calling for his removal from the UFC rankings.
“It really doesn’t matter what Dana White thinks of me,” Covington told reporters in January. “I’m a world champion. I’m Donald Trump’s favorite fighter. I’m America’s champion. I’m the king of Miami. You can never take those titles away from me. Take me out of those rankings, but whatever, I’m still the biggest draw at welterweight. It makes no difference what number is next to my name. I know what I’m capable of, and I know I’m still the best fighter and wrestler on planet Earth.”
Covington had hoped to fight at the White House on June 14, but his self-proclaimed status as “Donald Trump’s favorite fighter” wasn’t enough to land him a spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card, which he admittedly was “bummed” about, and there seemingly are no imminent plans for the 38-year-old to return to the octagon.
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Covington competed in Real American Freestyle earlier this year, defeating Dillon Danis by technical fall, and is expected to headline RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: ‘Donald Trump’s favorite fighter’ ousted from UFC rankings
