Colby Covington is a unique character in the world of mixed martial arts. While Conor McGregor and Chael Sonnen are two of the earliest fighters to popularize trash-talking in MMA, Colby took things one step forward with his savagery. Although his on-camera personality makes him look like a party boy, Covington is quite the contrary in real life.
He often posts videos of him hanging out with beautiful women and gives off the impression of living life to its fullest. However, one thing that the 170lbs fighter stays away from, is alcohol. While some fighters like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal enjoy a sip of drink and own liquor companies, Colby stays miles away from the lifestyle.
However, he does enjoy a sip of red wine from time to time. During a recent ESPN interview, Covington added, “(I) don’t drink at all. Maybe a glass of red wine just cause its good for the heart.”
Fans may wonder why the 36-year-old does not enjoy consuming alcohol. While there are benefits of staying sober for a professional athlete, that is not the only reason behind his sobriety.
Colby Covington was arrested for DUI at the age of 19
Colby Covington was not always opposed to consuming alcohol. However, it nearly cost him his career at the age of 19. After finishing high school, Covington went to Iowa State to continue his dreams of becoming one of the best wrestlers in the country. But it almost ended due to drunk driving.
In 2007, Colby Covington had a DUI arrest that led to his exit from Iowa State. Although he was heartbroken, Colby later conceded that it was the catalyst for him ultimately becoming a Division 1 wrestler out of Oregon University. After his wrestling career, ‘Chaos’ has transitioned into MMA and he will fight the current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296.
The UFC 296 PPV main card. Absolute money. pic.twitter.com/I4SrvAoI4w
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) December 3, 2023
While Colby has had two cracks at the title against Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 and UFC 268 respectively, Covington is not someone who gives up easily. After the second loss to Usman in 2021, the Oregon native has only fought once against the now-retired Jorge Masvidal. Even that fight was in March 2022. So it will be interesting to see how ‘Chaos’ handles the ring rust on December 16.