Covington Leaves Door Open For UFC Return

Colby Covington has walked back the finality of his UFC retirement, admitting the decision is far from settled and making clear that if he does return to MMA competition, it will only be inside the Octagon.

"It's 50/50. I don't think I have because I know I have a lot left in the tank. I know there's a lot of good miles still left on the tread. I could never go anywhere else. I'm a UFC fighter for life. And I'm thankful to be a UFC fighter. They made me a very successful man. I wasn't let go. I'm still a UFC fighter. I'll always be a UFC fighter. If I come back to fight again, it will be in the UFC," Covington said.

Covington announced his retirement from MMA on May 19 to focus on Real American Freestyle wrestling, where he has gone 3-0 with wins over Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis, and most recently Chris Weidman in the RAF 09 co-main event. The transition to the wrestling circuit has been smooth and successful, but his comments suggest the competitive instinct that drove his UFC career has not quietened entirely.

The disappointment of missing out on UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 has been a recurring theme in Covington's public comments since the card was announced. As a fighter who built much of his brand around political alignment with Donald Trump, the White House card represented an occasion tailor-made for his persona — and being absent from it clearly stung.

The RAF bout against Tsarukyan on July 18 in Milwaukee adds an intriguing dimension to the return conversation. Tsarukyan is the UFC's number two ranked lightweight contender and the official backup fighter for UFC Freedom 250, making him one of the more high-profile names Covington could share a mat with outside the Octagon. A strong performance there, combined with the 50/50 admission on his MMA future, suggests the retirement announcement of May 19 may prove to have a shorter shelf life than it initially appeared.