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Colby Covington
Colby Covington is a world-class professional mixed martial artist, former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, and an avid high-stakes poker enthusiast. Born in Clovis, California, and a longtime resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Covington is celebrated as one of the most polarizing and fiercely competitive athletes in combat sports.
Beyond the octagon, he has channeled his hyper-aggressive instincts into live poker, establishing himself as a formidable regular in elite card rooms. In 2026, he remains a consistent force on the live tournament circuit, balancing his athletic endeavors with deep runs at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) arenas in Las Vegas .
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
Proving that his tactical aggression translates seamlessly to the felt, Colby Covington has accumulated over $448,000 in tracked live poker tournament winnings according to The Hendon Mob. His breakout poker moment occurred at the 2024 WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas, where he secured a career-best $70,930 with a stellar 10th-place finish in the prestigious $10,000 GGMillion$ Championship.
Back in his home state, Covington made headlines by outlasting a monstrous, record-breaking field of 7,703 entries to place 7th in the 2022 SHRPO $400 Deep Stack for $48,295, later winning his first major trophy in the $1,100 PLO/8 Event for $25,875. Supported by multi-million dollar UFC purses, his combined sports and poker net worth is estimated at over $4 million.
Major Tournament Results:
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | WSOP Paradise $10,400 GGMillion$ Championship (10th) | $70,930 |
| 2022 | Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $400 Deep Stack NLHE (7th) | $48,295 |
| 2022 | Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha 8 (1st) | $25,875 |
| 2026 | WSOP $10,000 Mystery Bounty No Limit Hold’em (68th) | $13,650 |
Biography & Poker Background
Before his transition to the tables, Covington built an elite background as an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler prior to conquering the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). As a top-ranked UFC Welterweight powerhouse, his natural endurance made him a perfect fit for marathon live poker sessions. Covington originally honed his strategy playing low-stakes daily tournaments at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, which he frequently calls his “home casino.”
His crossover appeal has made him a staple on mainstream celebrity platforms, including standout appearances in the popular Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT). In 2026, while concurrently competing in the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling promotion, he continues to cement his status as one of the most legitimate poker threats from the professional sports crossover world.
Play Style & Strategy
True to his fighting persona, Covington utilizes a “relentless, heavy-pressure, and high-variance” approach at the poker table. While highly capable in No Limit Hold’em, he has expressed a distinct preference for Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), identifying it as a true gambler’s game that naturally limits the technical mathematical edge of risk-averse poker professionals.
He leverages his intense cardiovascular conditioning and focus to weather grueling multi-day tournament structures without suffering from mental fatigue. Strategically, he relies heavily on maintaining a deceptive image, exploiting the fact that opponents often underestimate his tactical discipline due to his loud, controversial public character, allowing him to pull off massive bluffs or get maximum value when holding premium ranges.
Social Media & Online Presence
Want to watch “Chaos” dominate his opponents in the ring or check his live-action updates from the tournament floor? Follow his verified channels and records here:
Video Highlights:
Derick Elomina is SoMuchPoker's Lead Content Writer and Interview Specialist, reporting live from WSOP bracelet events and Asia Pacific poker festivals such as TMT, APT, RDPT and APL Jeju, alongside player features and interviews for the site's Stories section. He discovered poker at 14 playing home games with friends, and by 21 he had entered the industry as a field reporter, starting as a hand reporter before building his current role on the tournament floor.
