When his days in the octagon are over, UFC welterweight Colby Covington sees himself entering a different arena, the political arena.
Against the backdrop of his loss to UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 earlier this month, Covington, 35, told the PBD Podcast that he could see himself pursuing a political career like his friend Donald Trump.
“I do believe I’m the Donald Trump of the UFC,” Covington said. “He’s my biggest role model, he’s my mentor, and he’s someone that I really look up to, so I try and model my career after a lot of things that he’s done.
Nothing makes me prouder than fighting for the people who fight for America!!! THANK YOU to all the brave men and women of law enforcement and the military!!! Thank You @realDonaldTrump for all the love and support!! The silent majority is ready to make some noise November 3rd!! pic.twitter.com/CazbUUnIiJ
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) September 20, 2020
“I definitely would like to run for Congress in a few years. I think I’d be the perfect fighter. I’m not a guy that’s going to sell out to the establishment. I’m a self-made man from nothing. I came from a blue-collar family in Oregon who had absolutely nothing who lived in the trailer parks, now I’m a multi-million dollar athlete, so I think that I can do great things for this Republican and Conservative movement because they don’t have the funds and means to do it. I appreciate everything Donald Trump’s done for me. I’m a true believer, I’ll die fighting for that man.”
Covington has fully embraced President Trump and made MAGA hats and aspects of Trump’s policies frequent fixtures in his speeches at press conferences and on social media. Covington has ruled out retirement in the immediate future but listed a run for Governor of Florida as an eventual possibility.
“I haven’t thought about it because I’m still a 100 percent in the UFC,” Covington said. “I feel like when you start putting that one foot out and start thinking about what’s next, then you should probably retire. You’re not still completely invested in the fighting. 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, and it was a very competitive fight, could have went either way.
“I know that I am more than just a fighter, though. I’m not just a fighter that shows up and fights in the octagon. That’s not all I can do. I’m smarter than that. I can use my mind, I have the intellect to be able to navigate the waters and get me where I want to go in life. I haven’t thought about it. I do want to get into politics one day because I want to fight for what I believe in. I want to get into Congress, maybe the Senate, maybe something like that. Maybe be the Governor of Florida, that would be my ultimate dream to be the governor of this state.”
Despite his loss to Edwards on the judge’s scorecards, Covington sees himself as the reason why people bought the fight.
Colby Covington punches Leon Edwards of Jamaica in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“I don’t think I was beat last weekend,” Covington said. “I think I gained a lot more, and the fans see the truth of the fighter and the marketer that I am, the entertainment aspect that I bring to the sport. I make it fun for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money to watch us. As far as Leon, no one was watching or tuning in to the fight to see Leon. It was either the people that absolutely love me or he was just borrowing my haters for the night. It wasn’t like he actually brought in any extra fans.”