Colby Covington, known as ‘Chaos,’ has unleashed a furious tirade against the Ultimate Fighting Championship, expressing his profound dissatisfaction with his treatment by the organization.
A seasoned veteran of mixed martial arts with nearly 12 years in the octagon and two more on the regional circuit, the 38-year-old was once considered a loyal “company man.” He was someone who consistently prioritized the promotion and refrained from public criticism of his employers—until now.
As he nears the twilight of his fighting career, Covington reveals he has grown weary of his role and is finally voicing his true feelings regarding the UFC’s alleged mistreatment and obstruction of his ventures outside the sport.
“They’ve kept me sidelined for the last 14 months, doing absolutely nothing,” Covington stated about his current standing with the UFC. “They haven’t offered me a single fight. According to our contractual agreement, they are obligated to offer me three fights a year. While I’m not looking for a lawsuit, this situation simply isn’t fair to me.”
He further elaborated on his frustration: “It’s truly upsetting because not only are they denying me the chance to earn money through fighting, but they’re also preventing me from earning anywhere else.”
Covington subsequently disclosed that the UFC had blocked his participation in a Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling match against fellow fighter Arman Tsarukyan.
RAF wrestling has gained considerable traction among fans, thanks to its engaging matchups featuring well-known athletes. Covington previously dominated Luke Rockhold in an RAF event, using his post-match platform to challenge Georges St-Pierre to a comeback. Arman Tsarukyan significantly elevated RAF’s profile following a memorable post-fight altercation with social media personality Georgio Poullas at RAF 6. A major bout between Tsarukyan and Covington was reportedly in the works after this event, but the UFC allegedly intervened swiftly to halt it.
“We’re classified as independent contractors, yet they’re treating me like an employee,” Covington argued. “I attempted to compete in a wrestling and jiu-jitsu match against Arman [Tsarukyan], and they explicitly said, ‘No. No active UFC fighters are permitted to compete against each other outside the UFC.’ I found myself thinking, ‘What? How does that even make sense? We’re independent contractors, but you’re restricting me like an employee. It’s like saying if I wash one house for money, I can’t go wash another.'”
“They are treating me unjustly, and I’ve had enough of it. They’ve done me dirty throughout my entire career. They even stripped me of my interim title because I refused to fight on just four weeks’ notice. That decision cost me valuable pay-per-view points, which would have been the largest payday of my career. They deprived me of that opportunity because I didn’t want to rush back on short notice when I had a planned nasal surgery and had just completed a grueling five-round world title fight. Why would I agree to such a turnaround?”
“At every turn, I’ve felt mistreated, and I’ve tried my best to play the company man role, but I’m truly fed up,” Covington concluded. “It’s simply frustrating, and it feels like there’s nothing I can do about it… Even after everything I’ve contributed to them, I’ve been idle on the sidelines for 14 months, unable to earn. In the UFC, you only make money when you fight. So, they haven’t provided me with any opportunity to earn. All I wanted was to go to RAF and have a wrestling match against Arman… It would have been the biggest matchup RAF could offer, and the UFC shut it down.”
