Colby Covington’s Journey: MMA Fighter to Poker Tables

The Colby Covington WSOP campaign is officially underway! The UFC Star is chasing a massive new challenge, and it has absolutely nothing to do with throwing punches.

The controversial American athlete is currently mixing it up in the $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha High Roller at the 2026 WSOP . While you probably know him from his 17-5 record in the MMA cage, Colby Covington is actually a sneaky good card player. He has quietly built a very respectable poker résumé, stacking up over $420,000 in live tournament earnings.

Colby Covington WSOP Ambitions Are Growing Fast

If you thought the current Colby Covington WSOP appearance was just a one-day publicity stunt, think again. He jumped right into one of the absolute toughest fields of the summer and plans to keep firing.

In fact, if everything goes according to plan, he is also taking a seat in the massive $50,000 WSOP High Roller later this month. That aggressive schedule shows just how confident he is on the felt. He is jumping into a game that many top pros consider the most complex format of the entire tournament series.

According to the man himself, the wild, unpredictable action is exactly what draws him to the four-card game.

Live Poker

Teaser

WSOP

2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Preview: Everything You Need to Know

Explore the full 2026 WSOP schedule: 100 bracelet events, the $10,000 Main Event, and the new Summer Circuit in Las Vegas.

02/17/2026

Why Pot Limit Omaha is Perfect for Gamblers

Although most of his previous tournament cashes came from standard No-Limit Hold’em, Covington is completely at home playing Pot Limit Omaha. Unlike Hold’em, where you only get two private cards, Pot Limit Omaha gives you four.

This means bigger draws, wilder swings, and way more action. Covington believes these higher variance levels level the playing field against the math-focused pros. He told PokerNews:

“PLO’s a lot bigger variance, so I like it because I’m a gambler and it’s more of a gambler’s game. It takes away some of the edge all these good pros in hold’em have, because they can just sit there and wait for aces all day.”

For action junkies and recreational players, the game is incredibly appealing for a few simple reasons:

• Massive drawing hands stay alive all the way to the river card.
• Huge, multi-way pots develop much more frequently.
• Hand strengths run very close together, making every flop exciting.
• You rarely get bored waiting for a premium starting hand.

Surviving a WSOP High Roller against the best Omaha specialists in the world is no joke. Any deep run here is a massive accomplishment for the fighter.

A Familiar Face at the Poker Table

Poker tournaments always have a funny way of bringing people together. Strangely enough, Covington found himself seated right next to the guy who actually launched his newest sporting venture.

During Day 1b of the tournament, he was battling for pots against Noah Schwartz. Schwartz is a highly respected poker professional from Florida who boasts more than $7 million in live tournament earnings.

It turns out that Schwartz, along with CEO Chad Bronstein, played a massive role in recruiting Covington for his latest wrestling gig. Sitting next to the guy who gave you a job while playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars is a classic Vegas coincidence.

Balancing Poker and Real American Freestyle

When he is not competing at the poker table, Covington is also active in Real American Freestyle wrestling. He currently holds a 3-0 record in the promotion.

He currently holds an undefeated 3-0 record in the promotion. Next up, he is preparing for a highly anticipated, tough matchup against fellow UFC veteran Arman Tsarukyan on July 18 in Milwaukee.

Despite the upcoming wrestling war in Real American Freestyle, Covington is clearly making the absolute most of his time in Las Vegas before he goes back into a strict training camp.

Thoughts on the UFC at the White House

Even though he has moved on, Covington still keeps a close eye on the UFC. He recently shared his thoughts on the historic June 14 fight card held directly on the South Lawn of the White House.

He praised the incredible production, calling it an electric night of fights that made history in combat sports. However, Covington doubts that UFC President Dana White will ever repeat it due to the massive production costs.

In his view, the financial Return on Investment (ROI) simply didn’t make sense for the company to do it again. But he noted that this is exactly what makes the historic event so special, as a truly unique, one-off spectacle.

What’s Next for Covington?

For now, his focus remains entirely on the poker tables. The Colby Covington WSOP campaign is still very much alive as he battles through one of the toughest Pot Limit Omaha fields of the year.

Whether he records a massive cash in this event or not, his plans are already set. He wants to keep splashing around in high-stakes games before shifting his full attention back to the wrestling mat.

With that massive $50,000 WSOP High Roller already marked on his calendar, we definitely haven’t seen the last of Covington in Las Vegas this summer!