Former UFC Champion Tyron Woodley used Colby Covington’s retirement to revisit a rivalry that has simmered for years, calling Covington a calculated self-promoter who built his UFC rise on timing, noise, and a political persona Woodley believes was more performance than conviction. Woodley’s remarks land with extra weight because both men were major figures in the UFC welterweight division, first as teammates at American Top Team and later as bitter opponents tied to one of the era’s nastiest grudge matches.
Woodley is a former UFC welterweight champion and one of the division’s defining names from the late 2010s, winning the belt by stopping Robbie Lawler in 2016 and defending it during a title reign that lasted until his loss to Kamaru Usman in 2019. Covington, meanwhile, became one of the division’s loudest personalities, winning the interim UFC welterweight title in 2018 and later earning multiple shots at the undisputed belt without ever becoming full champion.
Tyron Woodley says Colby Covington was “nothing more than a Trump-loving opportunist”
After Covington’s retirement was confirmed in May 2026, with Covington saying he stepped away from the UFC to focus on Real American Freestyle wrestling. The retirement closed the book, at least for now, on a UFC run that began in 2014 and ended after title fights, headline slots, and years of public feuds.
Woodley did not soften his view of the man he once trained with. Speaking with NewBettingSites.uk, he said,
“His whole brand was modelled around an act that he was such a Trump supporter, America this and that, when really he was just a Drake-listening, Beats headphones-wearing, hanging out in Miami, thinking he’s a gangster guy, who put on an act and a character.
“Your whole thing was baiting. Colby was piggybacking that because it was causing controversy. He wanted to create his own version of being a heel, but in MMA. I paid Colby weekly to be a training partner for Rory just to torture him.
“He was an opportunist who took advantage of a quiet moment in MMA. I would say he’s tough. I would say he’s durable. I would say he’s a person that doesn’t work very hard, but he has crazy cardio. People hated him in the gym because he wouldn’t work very hard, but he had a gas tank, and he knew staying close to you was the best for him.
“He found a way to do that. He talked himself into positions that his record and ranking weren’t ever in. The sport was quiet. Ronda was gone, Jon was chilling out, Conor was out, and nobody was there, so we were willing to listen to him.”
For years, Covington leaned into a pro-wrestling style role built on insults, MAGA symbolism, and political theater, a formula that drew headlines even when his activity slowed. Woodley argues that this image was less a reflection of Covington’s real self than a business decision made when the UFC needed a new source of attention.
Covington’s UFC story was always split between achievement and promotion. He was a high-level wrestler with elite pace, won the interim title against Rafael dos Anjos, beat former champions like Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley, and pushed Kamaru Usman in a competitive title fight in 2019.
At the same time, critics long questioned how often Covington stayed near the top of the title picture despite limited activity. His last UFC fight was a doctor-stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024, leaving him 1-3 in his last four bouts, and his most recent win came in March 2022 against Jorge Masvidal.
Woodley and Covington helped shape a noisy chapter in the welterweight division, even if they represented opposite poles of it. Woodley was the accomplished champion who believed results should carry the story, while Covington became a contender who proved that in the UFC, controversy can move almost as fast as wins.
