‘Chaos’ could be making moves.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Welterweight champion Colby Covington returned to his wrestling roots last night (Sat., Jan. 10, 2026), delivering a dominant performance at Real American Freestyle (RAF 05) by tech-falling former UFC Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold 10-0 inside Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida (watch highlights).
Despite being the smaller man, Covington made quick work of Rockhold, who held clear advantages in size, strength, and past experience at Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.
During his post-fight press conference, Covington was asked if he would consider competing at Middleweight inside the Octagon.
“I felt good at this weight class, and I know I’d do good at 185,” Covington said. “I have unlimited endurance, so at Middleweight I’d have even more of an advantage. I felt stronger than him tonight, and I know he probably weighs 20 or 30 pounds more than me. You might see me in my next fight — maybe at the White House — at Middleweight.”
While the idea may seem surprising, it’s not entirely new. Covington previously floated the possibility of dropping to Lightweight a few years ago.
Adding fuel to the fire, Covington recently exchanged words with UFC standout Bo Nickal during a pre-fight press conference. The back-and-forth prompted Nickal to challenge Covington to an Octagon fight on social media — a bout that would take place at Middleweight.
Covington addressed the callout, making it clear he wasn’t interested.
A move to 185 pounds could also open the door to a long-simmering grudge match with Sean Strickland. Still, while Covington’s gas tank would likely translate well, the sheer size and power of today’s Middleweight division could present serious challenges.
Covington hasn’t competed in MMA since suffering a doctor-stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa in Dec. 2024.
