Where is Colby Covington? That’s a question fans have been asking ever since their favorite welterweight suddenly vanished from UFC action. After his brutal loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa last year, ‘Chaos’ stayed completely inactive, and with the division moving fast without him, many wondered if Covington had quietly retired. But the truth is far more interesting, as life seems to have taken him in a different path.

After 12 months away, Colby Covington will return to competition, just not in the UFC. Instead, he’s set for a freestyle wrestling showdown against former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold at the late Hulk Hogan’s RAF event on Jan. 10 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Florida. It’s a surprising but solid stage for Covington to reappear. Still, the buzz around his UFC future refuses to settle as fans keep questioning whether he has really cut ties with Dana White. Here’s everything you need to know:

Colby Covington is not fired from the UFC

Yes, Colby Covington will compete in a full freestyle wrestling match against Luke Rockhold at RAF 5 event, but there’s absolutely no official word from him or the UFC suggesting that ‘Chaos’ has been fired or retired. The whole talk started because of his losing streak and long stretch of inactivity. But the speculation actually exploded thanks to a rumor that spiraled out of control.

A few days ago, a fake post claiming Hunter Campbell had fired several inactive UFC fighters began circulating across social media under the MMA Weekly banner. Turns out, it came from a parody account called MMA Central, known for pumping out fake news and memes to stir up the UFC fanbase.

So, because of that hoax, fans assumed Colby Covington might have been cut after the announcement of his wrestling match with Luke Rockhold at RAF 5. But that scare also had a bit of reason behind it, since the former title challenger hasn’t fought in a year. His losses to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley kept the speculation alive, making fans wonder if he really has distanced himself from the UFC. Some even believe he might be struggling to land star-level matchups right now, especially after his most recent defeat.

But interestingly, Covington isn’t the only familiar face stepping onto the RAF mats. Several active and former UFC names are also joining in. Bo Nickal, Belal Muhammad, and Michael Chandler are all choosing this alternative path to stay in the headlines by participating in the promotion. 

Active and former UFC fighters competing at the RAF  

Recently, active UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler faced former UFC fighter Chad Mendes in the headliner of RAF 3. After a gritty, high-paced scrap on the mat, ‘Iron’ edged out a competitive decision victory in their November 29 showdown. Their impressive wrestling match pulled the attention of both wrestling and MMA fans, and thanks to that success, even Belal Muhammad is now stepping into the RAF spotlight.

After RAF 3 delivered big, ‘Remember the Name,’ who’s fresh off his recent loss to Ian Garry at UFC Qatar, will showcase his wrestling skills once again. He’s set to take on the promotion’s welterweight king, David Carr, at RAF 4 on December 20. With that matchup, the Palestinian American gets a chance to call himself a champion again after losing the UFC belt at UFC 315 against Jack Della Maddalena. And right after that, more big names from Dana White’s roster will return to the RAF stage.

At RAF 5, Bo Nickal will step back in to face former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero on January 10. Nickal currently holds the RAF light heavyweight title, which he won after defeating Izzy Martinez in his last wrestling appearance. Now he’s set for a highly anticipated freestyle wrestling clash against a former UFC star and Olympic wrestler.

So, as we can see, the late Hulk Hogan’s promotion has turned into a platform for UFC fighters to keep their competitive rhythm alive and stay in the spotlight. Riding that momentum, Colby Covington is also making his return, aiming to prove he still has the power and sharpness to go toe-to-toe with a former champion.

However, if ‘Chaos’ pulls off a win, will he finally return to the cage to face the current wave of 170-pound contenders? Or will he decide to stay away from the UFC? Let us know what you think.