“Second Best Welterweight”
Fans often struggle to accurately rate polarizing fighters, such as Colby Covington. Those who enjoy his controversial persona tend to overrate his accomplishments, while his detractors downplay his skills. As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In his prime, Covington proved to be a top contender at 170 pounds. However, many regarded him as the consensus second best welterweight during Kamaru Usman’s title reign. Covington rode this popularity despite his inactivity and relatively lackluster resume. Today, Covington’s stock has plummeted after losses to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley. Some say he was always overrated. Others believe the competition has surpassed him. Still others feel that Colby’s skills have declined with age. Perhaps all these arguments are true in part.
Image – Tapology
Style
In terms of style, Colby utilized a high output, wrestling focused attack. While lacking in punching power, he overwhelmed opponents with his pace. His fight with Robbie Lawler exemplified this approach, in which he dominated from bell to bell. He also defeated an arguably more skilled Rafael dos Anjos with unrelenting pressure. Fans will fondly remember his two title fights against Usman, which featured intense back-and-forth striking exchanges. This style has proven successful, as current champions Belal Muhammad and Merab Dvalishvili both employ similar approaches themselves.
Resume
Regarding name value, Covington’s resume has aged incredibly poorly. His biggest wins came against Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, Tyron Woodley, and Jorge Masvidal. None of those fighters went on to have much success after their fight with Covington. He never fought the streaking contenders of his era, such as Gilbert Burns or Khamzat Chimaev. And after his first title fight, he took no more than one fight in between each of his next two title shots. Thus, even at the time, his label as the “second best welterweight” was debatable at best.
Image – MMA Mania
Progression
Because of his inactivity, it is hard to assess Covington’s actual progression as a fighter. His striking, while never particularly technical, steadily improved throughout his first title run. Then, following his split from American Top Team, he became more defensively responsible and calculated in his attacks. Although this has reduced the damage he’s taken, his lower output arguably diminished his overall effectiveness. In the Usman rematch, he lost the first two rounds before increasing his aggression. Leon Edwards also soundly out-struck him in their fight.
Image – MMA Fighting
Covington’s strength was always his wrestling. Against lesser wrestlers, he could completely dominate and smother them. But Covington has always struggled greatly against opponents who can adequately defend his takedowns. Usman, Edwards, and Buckley all stopped Colby from chaining takedowns and punished him on the feet. At his age, Covington’s famous cardio may have declined. But more importantly, his latest opponents have had the skills to stop Colby from controlling the pace of the fight.
Legacy
But for all the valid criticisms regarding the Covington narrative, he is an important part of the welterweight division’s history. He had real chances to defeat Usman in both of their fights. Furthermore, he had a real chance to become the undisputed champion if he had fought Woodley before Usman did. His resume may not be all that he promised, but it is not insignificant, either.
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