Colby Covington has been removed from the official UFC welterweight rankings due to lack of activity. His last fight was against Ian Machado Garry in 2024, which he lost via stoppage. Despite being removed from rankings, Covington is currently involved in a lawsuit with Jorge Masvidal and has competed in other promotions. The UFC typically removes fighters from rankings after extended periods without booking or competing in the organization. Covington's removal opens up space in the competitive 170-pound rankings.
Colby Covington has been removed from the UFC's official welterweight rankings, the organization confirmed, with extended inactivity cited as the reason for his departure from the 170-pound standings.
Covington, 38, finishes with a professional record of 17-5 and spent years as one of the division's most prominent figures. Known for relentless pressure and a wrestling-heavy approach, he averaged 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes across his UFC career — among the highest rates in the welterweight division. His most recent octagon appearance came in 2024, when he suffered a stoppage loss to Ian Machado Garry. That defeat, combined with no subsequent booking inside the UFC, triggered the standard inactivity policy that led to his removal.
The man who handed Covington that final loss, Ian Machado Garry, now sits at number one in the welterweight rankings. The 28-year-old Irishman carries a 17-1 record and has established himself as one of the division's sharpest strikers, landing 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy across his UFC run.
Away from the rankings picture, Covington remains involved in a legal dispute with former teammate Jorge Masvidal. The 41-year-old Masvidal, who holds a 35-17 record and competed out of American Top Team, has his own complicated history with Covington that has since spilled into the courts.
Why it matters
- Covington's removal creates an opening in a welterweight top-15 already reshaping itself around Garry's rise
- Any path back to the rankings for Covington would require a return to UFC competition and activity
- The ongoing lawsuit with Masvidal keeps Covington's name in circulation despite his organizational absence
- The 170-pound division loses one of its most recognizable names from the official standings, at least for now
