Colby Covington has been removed from the UFC rankings due to not competing in recent fights. His last bout was against Buckley in 2024, which he lost via stoppage. Since then, Covington has been involved in a lawsuit with Jorge Masvidal and has been competing in RAF instead of the UFC. The removal from the rankings reflects the UFC's policy on fighter activity requirements. Details on whether Covington plans to return to active UFC competition were not mentioned in the post.
Colby Covington has been removed from the UFC welterweight rankings, with the organization citing inactivity as the reason for the decision.
Covington, 38, entered the record books as one of the most decorated welterweights of his era, compiling a 17-5 professional record across a career built on relentless pressure and elite wrestling. The American fighter, who trains out of MMA Masters, stands five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach and has averaged 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career, making him one of the division's most persistent grapplers. His last UFC appearance came in 2024, when he suffered a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley, and he has not competed in the promotion since.
In the time following that defeat, Covington has been involved in a legal dispute with former training partner Jorge Masvidal and has taken fights in RAF rather than returning to the octagon. Those combined factors — the legal proceedings, the outside competition, and the absence from UFC action — appear to have triggered the promotion's standard inactivity policy, which requires fighters to compete regularly in order to retain a ranked position.
Why it matters
- Covington's removal opens space in a welterweight division that has been reshaping its rankings picture
- His 17-5 record and history of title contention mean a potential UFC return would likely demand immediate ranking consideration
- The style matchup implications for the division shift, as Covington's high-volume wrestling game at 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes is a distinct threat to almost any opponent at 170 pounds
- No timeline or indication of a UFC return was included in the announcement, leaving his status in the promotion genuinely uncertain
