Colby Covington has been removed from the official UFC welterweight rankings, ending a run that had lasted uninterrupted since 2017.
In the latest update, Covington fell out of the top 15 at welterweight, while Mike Malott and Yaroslav Amosov entered the rankings. The change follows years of limited UFC activity for Covington, who fought only once in each year from 2020 through 2024.
Covington’s most recent UFC appearance was a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024. His last win came against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022. Earlier this year, he competed in Real American Freestyle, defeating Dillon Danis by technical fall, and he is expected to headline RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.
Criticism over Covington’s place in the rankings had built in recent months. Dana White said in January it was odd that Covington was still ranked at No. 14 given his inactivity, echoing a wider sentiment captured in the question: "Why is Colby Covington still in the official UFC welterweight rankings?"
Covington publicly brushed off the scrutiny. "It really doesn't matter what Dana White thinks of me," he said. "I'm a world champion. I'm Donald Trump's favorite fighter. I'm America's champion. I'm the king of Miami. You can never take those titles away from me. Take me out of those rankings, but whatever, I'm still the biggest draw at welterweight. It makes no difference what number is next to my name. I know what I'm capable of, and I know I'm still the best fighter and wrestler on planet Earth."
Covington did not secure a spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card he hoped to fight on June 14.
