Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is pondering a career change following his latest setback.
Covington made his first appearance of 2024 in the year's final fight, headlining the UFC event in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 14 opposite the fast-charging Joaquin Buckley.
While "Chaos" had hoped to bounce back from his third failed attempt at achieving undisputed kingpin status at 170 pounds, he was unable to blemish Buckley's still-perfect record in the division since he made the move down from middleweight.
And weeks on from that result, Covington is now pondering going the other way.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington once again shut down the idea of cutting weight to compete in the lightweight class. Instead, he suggested that a move up to 185 pounds could be on the cards, especially given his view on the likes of former middleweight champ Sean Strickland.
Colby realized that he doesn't want to kill himself. He doesn't want to be a weight bully. You know Islam (Makhachev), these guys at lightweight, the Khabibs of the world, they're little lightweight bullies," Covington said. "They just have such a weight advantage of 30-40 pounds, but it's just not healthy. ... I don't see myself ever trying to go to (155 pounds), even though I know I could make it and I'd probably be way stronger. ... But (185 pounds) honestly is intriguing.
I mean the Sean Strickland fight's always interesting. He's had his things to say about me in the past. I don't think he's any special," Covington continued. "He's got a jab, he's got a front kick, but besides that, you shut down those weapons down and he's very limited. He's just a cardio kickboxer essentially, so you know, I don't see any threats.
Strickland and Covington have gone back and forth numerous times in the past, with the former notably scathing "Chaos" back in 2022 and branding him a "Karen" for how he reacted to an altercation with Fabrício Werdum.
For now, "Tarzan" has his sights on regaining the middleweight crown from Dricus Du Plessis in their rematch next month. The pair are set to run it back in the main event of UFC 312 in Australia on Feb. 8.