Colby Covington has been removed from the official UFC rankings due to lack of activity. His most recent bout was against Ian Machado Garry in 2024, where he suffered a stoppage loss. Since then, Covington has been involved in legal proceedings with Jorge Masvidal and has competed in Russian promotion RAF. The UFC typically removes fighters from rankings after extended periods without booking fights in the organization. This move signals Covington's uncertain status with the promotion moving forward.
Colby Covington has been dropped from the official UFC welterweight rankings, the promotion confirming the removal amid an extended stretch of inactivity inside the organization.
Covington, 38, holds a professional record of 17-5 and had long been one of the division's most prominent figures, built on a grinding, pressure-heavy style anchored by elite wrestling. He averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes, one of the higher rates in the welterweight division. His last UFC appearance came in 2024, when he suffered a stoppage loss to Ian Machado Garry. Since that defeat, Covington has not been booked by the UFC and instead competed under the Russian promotion RAF, while also becoming entangled in ongoing legal proceedings with former training partner and rival Jorge Masvidal.
Garry, the man who last finished Covington, currently sits ranked first in the welterweight division at just 28 years old. The Irish striker carries a 17-1 record and lands 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, underscoring the level of opposition Covington faced in his final UFC outing.
Masvidal, 41, holds a record of 35-17 and remains a well-known name in the sport, though his connection to this story is primarily through his legal dispute with Covington rather than any pending competitive matchup.
Why it matters
- Covington's removal clears a rankings spot and signals the UFC views him as outside their active roster pipeline
- His absence leaves a welterweight division reshaping itself around younger contenders, with Garry positioned at number one
- The combination of outside competition, legal distractions, and a stoppage loss makes Covington's path back to UFC contention significantly less clear
