Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington believes that he has a legitimate shot at entering the UFC Hall of Fame.
Covington retired from the UFC last week, with the reason being that he is focused on wrestling matches for RAF. At 38 years old, Covington has not fought since a December 2024 TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley, so he has been very inactive in recent years. After missing out on a chance to be on the UFC White House card, Covington was said to be at odds with UFC management. In the end, he decided to hang up his gloves and walk away, although he’s said to be open to a return to MMA one day in the future.
Colby Covington Believes He is a UFC Hall of Famer
Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Covington went over his resume and explained why he believes he’s one of the top fighters to ever compete in the UFC, which is why he should be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
“Definitely without a doubt (being inducted into the UFC HOF). Only fighter to bring a world title to the White House to a sitting president. The things I’ve done in this sport – the first fighter to bring the first family front row for a main event fight when I fought Robbie Lawler, another Hall of Famer. I’ve beaten champion after champion, headlined pay-per-view after pay-per-view for six, seven, eight years. In the top 10 of the UFC for almost a decade. My numbers and resume speak for itself. I have nothing left in the UFC to prove anymore,” Covington said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Although Covington thinks his resume is good enough to get into the UFC HOF, he also said that he won’t be upset if the promotion decides not to induct him.
“Doesn’t make a difference to me if I’m in the Hall of Fame. Does that mean I get money, or what does it entitle? I think the fans can speak for themselves. The company knows my worth and what I’ve sold. I went out to Madison Square Garden with one of the highest gates in the history of Madison Square Garden, put on an iconic fight, one of two headliners to headline a pay-per-view without being a title fight; the other being Conor McGregor. I know the star that I bring to the company and what I’ve done in that company and the money I’ve made for the company, so honestly it makes no difference if they put me in the Hall of Fame or not. I won’t lose any sleep over it,” Covinton said.
Will Colby Covington Get Into the UFC Hall of Fame?
As far as Covington’s potential HOF resume goes, he does have a few things going in his favor.
First, he was the former interim UFC welterweight champion, which counts for something. He also holds notable wins over Robbie Lawler (a UFC Hall of Famer), Rafael dos Anjos (a likely UFC Hall of Famer), Jorge Masvidal (a potential UFC Hall of Famer), plus Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia, who are also potential HOFers. So he does have quite a few wins.
But at the same time, he wasn’t a true, undisputed champion, and while there are a few UFC Hall of Famers who didn’t hold a belt — Donald Cerrone, to name one — most of them held the undisputed belt at one point.
Perhaps Covington’s best shot of getting into the UFC HOF is through the Fight Wing, as his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 is one of the greatest welterweight title fights of all time. As a fighter, his resume is solid, but not spectacular. But that first Usman fight was amazing, and it could be what ultimately punches Covington’s ticket to the UFC Hall of Fame.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Colby Covington Believes He Should Be in the UFC Hall of Fame appeared first on HEAVY.