UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik doesn’t exactly view Colby Covington as Hall of Fame worthy.
Covington recently wrapped up his pro MMA career in a move that surprised some. While “Chaos” will turn 39 in 2027, he had showed signs that he was ready for his next fight. Covington had been pounding the table to be a part of the UFC Freedom 250 card, but he didn’t get his wish and he ultimately retired.
Now that Covington is done putting on the gloves, talks of whether or not he’s worthy of a UFC Hall of Fame induction have surfaced. During the latest edition of the “Anik & Florian Podcast,” Anik said he believes the former interim welterweight titleholder falls a bit short (via MMAJunkie).
“When Colby Covington beat Robbie Lawler August 3rd of 2019, that was one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen,” Anik said. “The mix of offense, takedowns, and strikes (was) otherworldly. At that point in time, though, he was not in defense of a belt. He had been stripped of his UFC interim welterweight championship due to injury, and then he never won the undisputed title.
“And on the way out (he) competed once in 2020, once in 2021, once in 2022, once in 2023, once in 2024. Dana White is the entire voting body, and it’s not always about the Hall of Fame. Covington and his third lung and his cardio and his MMA wrestling and everything else is absolutely fantastic. For me, maybe falls a little bit short of inclusion in the UFC Hall of Fame.”
Covington has remained active in freestyle wrestling. He recently earned a victory over former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman at RAF 09. He is scheduled to compete against top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 on July 18 in Milwaukee.
Do you agree with Jon Anik leaving Colby Covington out of the UFC Hall of Fame discussion? Sound off in the comments below.