Colby Covington Joins Hype Fighting Championship After UFC Retirement, Continuing Combat Sports Career

Colby Covington has officially found another way in combat sports after resigning from the UFC earlier this year.

The former interim UFC welterweight champion has signed with Hype Fighting Championship, adding another promotion to his burgeoning post-UFC career.

The move shows that his retirement from mixed martial arts hasn’t ended his competitive goals as Covington prepares for his next appearance in the RAF.

Covington’s long career included 17 fights inside the Octagon before he left the UFC and he leaves with a 12-5 record in the UFC and won the interim welterweight title by beating Rafael dos Anjos in 2018.

The 38 year old has not competed in MMA since a December 2024 loss to Joaquin Buckley but instead he's revert to his wrestling roots and assembled a strong run under the Real American Freestyle brand.

Covington has already beaten a handful of prominent ex-UFC competitors in wrestling matches. Since returning to the mat, he’s been able to keep busy and seek options beyond the typical MMA landscape.

The latest recruit for Hype Fighting Championship writes another compelling tale.

Covington is a famous name and his contentious demeanor is likely to make people want to know details about his next fight and opponent.

Although he’s officially retired from UFC competition, Covington has previously said his relationship with the company is positive.

He has also said he might come back to the UFC.

But the new openings appear to be the focus for now. His wrestling career has already given us some high profile matchups and the Hype Fighting Championship partnership could get him to another audience.

Covington has spent over a decade cultivating a reputation as one of MMA’s most talked about personalities. His recent move suggests that he’s not ready to fade away into the nite in combat sports.

Instead, “Chaos” is starting a different phase of his career, with more bouts and new difficulties still to come.