Colby Covington Chooses to Be No.1 Streamer in the World, Not UFC Fighter, for Bigger Earnings

Amid links to a return to the Octagon this summer, it seems UFC veteran Colby Covington won’t ply his trade in combat sports for much longer.

Covington, a polarizing staple of the promotion’s ranks, has been sidelined since December after headlining his UFC card on a fight night in December 2024. The Clovis grappler would be outstruck by the surging Joaquin Buckley and forced out of the octagon after a third round doctor’s stoppage aimed to protect his eyes.

The defeat came off of the back of a decision shutout loss to then-champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 in 2023. Furthermore, this blemish came as Covington’s third in as many undisputed championship fights.

Amid doubts over his credentials as a top fighter anymore, in the months since the Buckley loss, Covington has been linked to a fight against welterweight prospect Michael ‘Venom’ Page.

However, Covington’s future in the sport may be fleeting. This week, when questioned about his ambitions, the MMA Master admitted his time may be up sooner than expected. Particularly with the payment structure on offer by the UFC, Covington doesn’t seem keen on mounting another long tite campaign.

“Number one streamer,” Colby Covington replied to Neon when asked if he would rather be the best fighter in the world. “Because they [streamers] get paid a little more money [than fighters in the UFC]. And they don’t have to get hit in the face. So, yeah“, Colby added.

When Covington’s estimated salary of $3.6 million for his Octagon career is compared with streamers, it does make for some bleak reading. Considering the damage the veteran has taken in his tenure, a host of Twitch and Kick-affiliated hosts would likely scoff at that pay.

However, despite this, Covington is still gunning for a return to action. Especially if he’s to be included on the UFC 317 card during International Fight Week.

Covington vows to return with a ‘vengeance’

Amid a two-fight skid for the first time in his career, Covington knows he has work to do. And while Page has welcomed a grudge fight with Covington, arch-rival Jorge Masvidal also has sights on a rematch- in a bid to avenge his infamous decision defeat at UFC 272.

It was believed to be Masvidal’s last fight under the UFC umbrella, but now represented by Dominance MMA, ‘Gamebred’ himself is on the cusp of a summer return – much like Colby.

“I’m hoping to come back during International Fight Week in June,” Covington told Full Send MMA. “I’m gonna talk to Dana (White)… Hopefully we can chop it up and figure out who’s next”, he added

But will Colby be good enough to dig himself out of the slump he now finds himself in. Or is it going to be yet another episode of too much ado about nothing?