Kamaru Usman has offered his perspective on the circumstances leading to Colby Covington’s reported retirement from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Recent reports indicate that Covington has been officially listed as retired in the UFC’s athlete database. Following this news, Usman, a former rival of Covington, shared his belief regarding the motivations behind “Chaos'” decision to step away from the organization.
Covington’s most recent UFC appearance was in 2024, where he suffered a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley due to a doctor’s stoppage. Post this defeat, Covington had expressed interest in participating in the UFC Freedom 250 event in 2026. There were also discussions about him potentially moving up to the middleweight division to face Bo Nickal; however, this bout never materialized, with Nickal suggesting Covington was unwilling to accept the fight. Additionally, rumors circulated about a potential matchup with the winner of the Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Burns fight, a bout Malott won by knockout. Despite this, the UFC did not announce a fight between Malott and Covington in the weeks following UFC Winnipeg.
Outside of his UFC commitments, Covington has remained active in submission grappling, achieving victories over notable figures like Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis. He is scheduled to compete against Chris Weidman later this month. Covington had also sought to compete against Arman Tsarukyan under the Real Fighting (RAF) banner, but he claimed the UFC did not approve of this move and had not been offering him any fights. In recent months, “Chaos” has frequently criticized the UFC management for a perceived lack of fight opportunities, which Usman suggests could be a primary driver behind his retirement.
Kamaru Usman Suggests a “Disconnect” Between Colby Covington and the UFC
Kamaru Usman posited that Colby Covington’s retirement might stem from not being offered fights as frequently as he desired. Speaking on the podcast Pound 4 Pound, Usman stated:
“Covington has not been getting that frequency of activity; it’s not that he can’t compete, because we know he can compete. Because he’s competing at RAF and he’s doing pretty well. There is some type of disconnect between Covington and the UFC, and why they can’t get him in there, or why he isn’t getting fights he wants.”
During the same Pound 4 Pound episode, Usman commended “Chaos,” noting that his fights consistently draw attention, regardless of whether fans are in support or opposition. “The Nigerian Nightmare” also expressed his belief that Colby Covington remains a highly capable competitor.