Colby Covington was unable to successfully attain the UFC welterweight championship recently.
However, as Covington ponders his future both inside the Octagon and outside of it, he made it known that he has thoughts of running for office.
“I can use my mind and I have the intellect to be able to navigate the waters to get me where I want to go in life,” said Covington, during an interview with the PBD Podcast (thanks to MMA Junkie for the quotes). “Haven’t thought about it. I do want to get into politics one day because I want to fight for what I believe in.
“Congress, maybe senate, something like that. Maybe the governor of Florida. That would be my ultimate dream is to be governor of the state.”
Colby Covington Now Resides In Florida
Born in California, Covington now calls Florida his home after attending college in both Iowa and Oregon. The 35-year-old fell to 17-4 with a decision loss to Leon Edwards earlier this month at UFC 296 for the title.
Overall, he is just 2-3 since winning 15 of his first 16 fights, including an interim title triumph over Rafael dos Anjos in 2018. Covington never got the chance to defend or unify the belts due to an injury, returning in 2019 with a win over Robbie Lawler.
He failed twice to take the belt from then-champion Kamaru Usman in 2019 and 2021 around a finish of Tyron Woodley. A 2022 win vs. Jorge Masvidal secured him a shot at Edwards and the title.
“I feel like when you start putting that one foot out and start thinking about what’s next, then you should probably retire,” Covington said. “You’re not still completely invested in fighting. So, I still know I’m one of the best fighters in the world.
“I just went five rounds with the supposed champion who was supposed to just completely decimate me. It was a very competitive fight, could’ve gone either way. So, I know I’m so much more than a fighter, though.”
