Colby Covington removed from UFC rankings amid scrutiny

Colby Covington has been removed from the UFC welterweight (170-pound) rankings for the first time since 2017, as revealed in the latest rankings published Tuesday. His removal came after months of scrutiny over his inactivity, having fought only once per year from 2020 through 2024, with his most recent outing being a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024. UFC CEO Dana White had acknowledged in January that it was unusual for Covington to remain ranked, given his inactivity and lack of a win since defeating Jorge Masvidal in March 2022.