Former UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington is one of the most interesting personalities in the sport. He has won over legendary fighters such as Robbie Lawler, Rafael dos Anjos, Demian Maia, and Jorge Masvidal. Despite his controversial statements, the 35-year-old has one of the most inspiring stories in the sport.
At one point in time, UFC was reportedly planning on cutting Covington because of his somewhat reserved personality. However, he turned it around with a savage promo that turned him into a sensation overnight. After beating Demian Maia in October 2019, he cut one of the most infamous promos of all time. And, since then, “Chaos” has never looked back.
He defeated Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 to become the interim welterweight champion. Although he was stripped of the belt, Colby went on to beat former champ Robbie Lawler to earn a title shot at UFC 245 against then-champion Kamaru Usman. Although he lost the bout, Covington earned the rematch at UFC 268 after beating Tyron Woodley in September 2020.
Unfortunately for Colby, he lost the rematch against Usman as well on November 6, 2021. Afterward, he defeated his friend-turned-foe, Jorge Masvidal, in the UFC 272 main event. His next fight is going to be another main event at UFC 296, against Leon Edwards for the welterweight title. On that note, let’s take a look at how much Covington has earned throughout his career.
How much has Colby Covington earned in the UFC?
Colby Covington made his UFC debut against Anying Wang in August 2014. For that fight, Covington earned $31,000, including $8,000 each for show money and win bonus and $15,000 more from sponsorship. His next four fights earned him $35,000, $39,000, $20,500, and $38,500, respectively.
Colby earned a six-figure paycheck for the first time against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225. While there was no win bonus for Covington, he earned $350,000 to show up for the fight and $30,000 more from sponsorship. In total, “Chaos” walked away with $380,000.
In his next fight, Colby Covington defeated Robbie Lawler and earned $230,000 in total. His next fight was against Kamaru Usman at UFC 245, and it was the title shot of his career. Despite losing the contest, the Oregon native earned $580,000. Next, he demolished Tyron Woodley, and it earned him $310,000.
On his rematch with Kamaru Usman, Covington fell short once more. However, he earned $632,000 from the fight despite a loss. But the biggest payday of his career came at UFC 272 against Jorge Masvidal. Fans were extremely excited for the bout, and it reflected on Covington’s purse from the fight. From the bout, Colby bagged $500,000 each from the win bonus and show money. The total of $1,061,000 also included $61,000 in bonuses and sponsorships.
It is important to remember that the figures are only estimates, as UFC does not release the figures publicly. But according to MMA Salaries, Colby Covington has earned $3,617,000 in the UFC.