UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik has laid out why he doesn’t see recently retired Colby Covington as a UFC Hall of Famer.
Speaking on the “Anik & Florian Podcast,” Anik pointed to Covington’s résumé and activity level in recent years, despite acknowledging some standout highs. “When Colby Covington beat Robbie Lawler August 3rd of 2019, that was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen,” Anik said.
“The mix of offense, takedowns, and strikes (was) otherworldly. At that point in time, though, he was not in defense of a belt. He had been stripped of his UFC interim welterweight championship due to injury, and then he never won the undisputed title.”
Anik also highlighted Covington’s limited schedule down the stretch. “And on the way out (he) competed once in 2020, once in 2021, once in 2022, once in 2023, once in 2024. Dana White is the entire voting body, and it's not always about the Hall of Fame. Covington and his third lung and his cardio and his MMA wrestling and everything else is absolutely fantastic. For me, maybe falls a little bit short of inclusion in the UFC Hall of Fame.”
Covington, 17-5, recently announced his retirement and has not fought since a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024. Anik added, “And I think that does dovetail with a little bit of the inactivity over the last several years that does sort of play into his legacy – at least for me.”
