Colby Covington hasn’t fought in the UFC in 13 months time. To find the last Saturday night where he made the trek to the fabled Octagon, you’d need to go back to December of 2024, a night which saw “Chaos” head to the cage in Tampa, FL on the last show of the UFC’s 2024 schedule.
That evening, Covington went down in defeat to Joaquin Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) by way of third-round TKO, sustaining a cut above his eye, forcing the fight doctor to stop the contest. His hiatus from competition ended over the weekend.
Luckily for fans of Colby Covington, his hiatus from competition ended in victory this past weekend. Saturday night, in a “home game” for Covington, he took to the mat of Real American Freestyle in Sunrise, FL.
Colby Covington Bests Rockhold by Technical Fall
In the main event of Real American Freestyle’s RAF 05, seen on the FOX Nation streaming platform, Covington met fellow UFC stalwart Luke Rockhold on the mat. “Chaos” used his NCAA All-American wrestling prowess advantageously, besting Rockhold by way of technical fall inside the second round with a 12-0 final score.
Following the main event, Covington met backstage with “The Schmo” to give his take on how the evening went on Saturday night.
“I feel like a million bucks right now,” Colby Covington began. “I’m doing great. Shoutout to South Florida. They came out and showed out tonight. It was a great event, man. I’m super happy about the event and I’m super happy to see what’s next in RAF.”
Covington also mentioned that he’s keeping any and all options open when it comes to his next appearance in combat sports.
“You’re going to see me soon, you know,” he said. “[I’ve] definitely been talking to [UFC CEO] Dana [White] about the UFC White House card, so hopefully it happens, but I’m going to use the next couple RAF matches as training camp to get ready for my next fight [in MMA.]
Colby Covington, who’s interested in becoming the newest member of the UFC’s middleweight division in the near future, is one of a laundry list of fighters in the UFC who at one time or another have advocated for a spot on the June 13 card on The White House grounds in Washington, DC, being held to commemorate US President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Conor McGregor was among the first to throw his hat into the proverbial ring for the show, and he recently took to social media to challenge Floyd Mayweather to a rematch in the Octagon.
Colby Covington Stays True to Form in Post-Fight Press Conference
Immediately following RAF 05 Saturday night, Colby Covington took to the podium for the post-fight press conference. As is often the case, when “Chaos” gets on the microphone, those in the media room have to be sure that their audio recorders are rolling because it can get explosive.
Ahead of RAF 05 on Saturday, the intended co-main event of the evening was postponed at the morning weigh-ins. Yoel Romero, who was to have faced off against Bo Nickal this past weekend, missed weight, resulting in Nickal declining to compete in the scheduled match.
Subsequent to the match’s postponement, RAF elevated Bo Nickal to its Light Heavyweight Champion. If Colby Covington has his way, regardless of discipline, his next contest won’t be against Nickal.
“The quitter, Bo Nickles?,” he pondered. “I call him Bozo Nickles. He bailed on RAF the last fight against Yoel. He bailed on this one. He quit in his last fight. Actually, I want to apologize to Reinier de Ridder because I called him a Dutch kickboxer. My bad, he’s actually a grappler. A grappler made Bo quit in the Octagon, so Bo’s a quitter. I don’t have time for quitters. He can get in line, because there’s a long list of people that want to compete against me in RAF.”
The de Ridder fight that Colby Covington referred to occurred on the night of May 3 last year in Des Moines, IA. de Ridder finished Bo Nickal inside the second round that spring evening with a knee to the body.
Since that defeat, he’s returned to the win column in his last two appearances in combat sports, discipline notwithstanding.
Colby Covington’s Remarks Continued
His verbal takedown of Bo Nickal didn’t end there.
“I want guys that are dependable, guys that are company men,” Colby Covington continued. “You know, I love RAF. RAF, Real American Freestyle, is the future of wrestling, so I want guys that are dependable and I know are going to show up. Bozo Nickles is not that guy.”
Final Thoughts
Colby Covington hadn’t tasted victory since 2022 prior to this weekend’s appearance in RAF 05. Whether or not the win over Luke Rockhold will serve as a stepping stone to a sustained winning streak in combat sports remains to be seen.
There is, however, one certainty: No matter the discipline, whenever “Chaos” is on a hot streak, he’s a man who’s a lot of fun to watch.
