Colby Covington will get another crack at the UFC gold this Saturday night against undisputed welterweight champion Leon Edwards, making it his third title shot in his last five fights.
Covington, former Oregon State wrestler and Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, is just one of many talented fighters with a successful background in wrestling. At the Division 1 level, Covington eventually found a home at Oregon State, which was after wrestling at the JUCO level and even having a short stint with the Iowa Hawkeyes before making his move back home.
As a Springfield, Oregon native, Covington attended and competed at Thurston High School, a prep school where he would see elite competition every season. Covington would end his prep career with an 118-34 record and earned a state title during his senior year at 171-pounds.
After graduating high school, Covington stayed busy on the mats over the summer and competed at some of the most prestigious tournaments that are still held today.
In 2005, Covington placed fifth at Greco Junior Nationals. Just a year later, Covington followed up his international success with a fourth place finish at Freestyle Junior Nationals, and a third place finish at the NHSCA Senior Nationals.
Although having success against some of the best young competition around the country, Covington would land and dominate at Iowa Central Community College. Covington destroyed the JUCO landscape, going 34-0 as a freshman and winning a national title in 2006. He also participated at the prestigious Midlands tournament that season, placing third amongst a bracket filled with Division 1 wrestlers.
Funnily enough, Iowa Central is where Covington would first meet Jon Jones, who is the consensus G.O.A.T of Mixed Martial Arts. Both Covington and Jones would win national titles for Iowa Central, and it would be the last time the two were together on the same roster before being both signed to the UFC.
After completely dominating everyone at the JUCO level, Covington decided it was time to wrestle at the Division 1 level; where he would commit to the University of Iowa.
However, Covington would not find the same success as a Hawkeye. Even before his first season in an Iowa singlet began, it ended. Covington was arrested for eluding the police and driving while intoxicated, as he blew three times over the legal limit. This would cause Covington to be kicked off the team, and would be forced to look towards another program to join and finish his career.
Covington understood and changed from the mistakes he made, however Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands did not believe the same. Without a second chance, Covington was persuaded to the Oregon State Beavers by former Iowa head coach, Jim Zalesky.
“That’s what needed to happen for me to be on the journey I am on today. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because I went back home to Oregon State University, I got back to my roots, and I got back to my family. I wasn’t around the best coaches or best team but I had my family and friends around me and that was more important than having famed coaches and famed wrestling room around me. I’m happy it happened, I’m happy the journey turned out the way it did because I know I wouldn’t be here today fighting for a UFC title again if it didn’t happen,” Covington said.
And that is exactly what happened. Going into his senior season, Covington put the mistakes and noise behind himself, and focused on becoming the best wrestler he could for his final year as a collegiate wrestler.
Covington would be named the starter at 174-pounds for the 2010 Oregon State lineup, and it sure paid off. Covington finished his senior season with a 40-7 record, and was named the team’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, Most Pins and Leadership Award winner. Covington cracked into the top-10 rankings at 174-pounds, and finished his NCAA tournament one victory shy of All-American honors.
Despite only having one full season as a Division 1 wrestler, Covington made the most of his situation.
“I’m very thankful it happened because it lit a fuel in my soul that really let me dig deep and find out who I truly was and what I truly wanted. After that day I vowed I wouldn’t drink again, I would commend myself to being the best wrestler and then obviously after I was done with wrestling, being the best fighter I could be. I wouldn’t be here today without that situation, I know it,” said Covington.
Since then, Covington would go on to have his own unique story in the UFC and made things work just the way he did as a wrestler. Covington would go on to headline multiple UFC main-events, and will be fighting for the undisputed title he’s wanted for so long once again.
