Colby Covington Admits Politics Was “Career Suicide” Unsure About His UFC Future
Colby Covington says his foray into politics has backfired, calling it “career suicide” and vowing to step away from campaigning as he prepares for his next appearance on the “Real American Freestyle” card. The longtime Donald Trump supporter now frames politics as a “dirty game” where, in his view, loyalty is never rewarded.
Colby Covington reflects on the political Act
Speaking in the build‑up to his March 28 Real American Freestyle bout against Dillon Danis at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Covington admitted that his attention moved away from fighting when he became more active in politics. He said his “focus wasn’t on the UFC” and that he devoted time to appearing at political events and backing Trump rather than staying in a full training cycle.
“My focus was on America. It was on the future of our kids in America and the people here. I did give up that time and I wasn’t training, and it was honestly career suicide for me to go fight at that time, but I just knew he was such a bum he couldn’t do anything to me, even with no training camp.”
Covington described that period as “career suicide” from a competitive standpoint, explaining that he went into his fight with Joaquin Buckley in Tampa in December 2024 without a proper camp because he believed Buckley “couldn’t do anything” to him. He has since argued that the loss, which came via doctor’s stoppage, stalled his welterweight run and undercut any leverage he had with the promotion.
“It sucks I didn’t get rewarded. I thought loyalty would be rewarded. The UFC didn’t care. In the future you won’t see me actively involved in politics. I think it’s a dirty game, loyalty is never rewarded.”
Over the past decade, Colby Covington has turned himself into one of MMA’s most polarizing political figures, embracing a loud pro‑Donald Trump identity that bled into nearly every stage of his UFC career. After a 2017 win over Demian Maia in Brazil, he pivoted into a trash‑talking persona that blended nationalist rhetoric with open support for Trump, later visiting the White House with his interim welterweight belt in 2018 and regularly wearing a MAGA hat during fight week media.
Covington courted controversy by mocking NFL players protesting during the national anthem, clashing with Black Lives Matter supporters, and labeling the BLM movement “a complete sham,” which drew accusations of racism from critics and fellow fighters.
He leaned into that divide by feuding publicly with LeBron James over social and political issues and insisting in interviews that his support for Trump was sincere rather than a marketing stunt.
“Loyalty is never rewarded”
The 36‑year‑old said he expected his public support for Trump and his MAGA‑themed persona to translate into opportunities, including a place on the UFC’s planned White House card with President Donald Trump, but the call never came. Covington has voiced frustration at being left “sitting around for the last 14 months” without a fight offer, pointing to the White House snub as proof that his loyalty did not produce the payoff he anticipated.
In a clip shared by Bloody Elbow and circulated on social media, he drew a direct line between that disappointment and his decision to step away from politics. “In the future you won’t see me actively involved in politics,” he said, adding that it is “a dirty game” where “loyalty is never rewarded.”
Stepping back from politics and eyeing the end
Covington stressed that he still likes Trump personally but no longer wants to campaign or build his brand around political theater. He framed the shift as a move back to fighting and business, indicating that his ambitions have changed after years of leaning into controversy to stay on the radar.
At the same time, Covington has acknowledged that his career is in its late stages, saying recently that after nearly 14 years as a professional and an interim welterweight title reign, he expects to be “done” with the UFC within about a year as his body slows down. Between the Buckley loss, the White House snub and a long stretch of inactivity, he now presents his political chapter as a miscalculation he does not plan to repeat. His years of campaigning and controversy did not bring the career benefits he expected.
