You no longer have to ask the question, "Why is Colby Covington still in the official UFC welterweight rankings?" He's finally been removed.

With Mike Malott and Yaroslav Amosov entering the top 15, the latest edition of the UFC's 170-pound rankings revealed Tuesday did not include Covington for the first time since 2017.

Covington's Long Run of Inactivity

Covington's status as a top-15 welterweight came under scrutiny in January when UFC CEO Dana White agreed it was odd to have him still ranked (then at No. 14) in a stacked division considering his inactivity. Covington fought only once in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. His most recent fight was a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024, and he hasn't won since defeating now-retired Jorge Masvidal in March 2022.

The former interim champion skipped all of 2025 and still kept a seat on the 170-pound ladder while the division kept moving without him. His latest UFC stretch has been ugly: he lost to Leon Edwards in a failed title bid at UFC 296, dropped another fight to Joaquin Buckley after that, and never rebuilt any momentum before disappearing from competition altogether.

Covington's Response to Critics

Covington shrugged off criticism from White and also fans calling for his removal from the UFC rankings.

"It really doesn't matter what Dana White thinks of me," Covington told reporters in January. "I'm a world champion. I'm Donald Trump's favorite fighter. I'm America's champion. I'm the king of Miami. You can never take those titles away from me. Take me out of those rankings, but whatever, I'm still the biggest draw at welterweight. It makes no difference what number is next to my name. I know what I'm capable of, and I know I'm still the best fighter and wrestler on planet Earth."

No White House Spot for Covington

Covington had hoped to fight at the White House on June 14, but his self-proclaimed status as "Donald Trump's favorite fighter" wasn't enough to land him a spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card, which he admittedly was "bummed" about. There seemingly are no imminent plans for the 38-year-old to return to the octagon.

Covington competed in Real American Freestyle earlier this year, defeating Dillon Danis by technical fall, and is expected to headline RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.

Malott and Amosov Enter the Rankings

The removal of Covington made room for two new entrants. Mike Malott entered at No. 11 and Yaroslav Amosov at No. 15. Malott gave the panel a real reason to move him in. The Canadian welterweight pushed his record to 14-2-1 by stopping Gilbert Burns in the UFC Winnipeg main event, which made it four straight wins. Malott's finish over Burns is exactly how you force your way into a crowded division.

Amosov's arrival also fits after his UFC debut finish over Neil Magny and his quick turnaround toward UFC 328.

Current Welterweight Top 15

The current welterweight picture is too crowded to keep handing out courtesy spots. Islam Makhachev holds the belt, and the top of the class is stacked with contenders. The full rankings are as follows:

C: Islam Makhachev

1. Jack Della Maddalena
2. Ian Machado Garry
3. Michael Morales
4. Belal Muhammed
5. Carlos Prates
6. Sean Brady
7. Kamaru Usman
8. Leon Edwards
9. Joaquin Buckley
10. Gabriel Bonfim
11. Mike Malott (*NR)
12. Michael Page
13. Uros Medic
14. Daniel Rodriguez
15. Yaroslav Amosov (*NR)

What's Next for Covington?

Covington's removal does not mean he vanished from the sport. He has still been loud outside the cage, whether it was lawsuits, rankings talk, or political-event chatter. He has also stayed in the news through his lawsuit against Jorge Masvidal and his complaint about not getting a White House event offer. But none of that fixes the obvious problem: if you are not fighting and you are not winning, the rankings eventually stop pretending.

A few years ago, Covington was still living off contender status and the strength of his mouth. Now the division has moved on, and the ranking next to his name is gone too.

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