Colby Covington hints at UFC 317 return, plans to meet with Dana White: "Hopefully we can chop it up and figure out"

Colby Covington recently revealed the tentative date of his return to the octagon. Covington also intended to have a dialogue with Dana White regarding his rival for the fight while indicating that he might return at UFC 317.

Covington's last fight marked the final UFC encounter of 2024. His showdown against Joaquin Buckly served as the headliner for UFC Tampa, the last UFC event of 2024.

However, 'Chaos' took some serious punishment from his rival in the fight. A strong right hook from Buckley opened up a nasty cut over Covington's left eye midway through the very first round of the fight. The injury kept getting worse as Buckley landed several more shots on it as the fight progressed.

The cut over Covington's eye had turned into a leaky mess by the final minutes of the second round. Its terrible condition made referee Dan Miragliotta stop the fight following the ringside doctor's suggestion. The loss against Buckley marked Covington's second consecutive loss, with the first one coming at UFC 296 against Leon Edwards.

A recent X update from @ChampRDS showcased that Covington is currently eyeing a return to the octagon after the UFC Tampa debacle. It also revealed his wish to possibly make his comeback within the International Fight Week in June at the discretion of White. A look at the UFC's schedule indicates that Covington is planning his return for UFC 317:

"I'm hoping to come back during International Fight Week in June. I'm gonna talk to Dana... Hopefully we can chop it up and figure out who's next."

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Colby Covington reveals why he never talks to his rivals after fights

The UFC fanbase has witnessed several fierce feuds getting settled inside the octagon. Even Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya shook hands after their UFC 281 fight, arguably the peak time in their rivalry.

However, Colby Covington stands apart from other UFC fighters in this regard. Unlike the Pereiras and Adesanyas, Covington refuses to exchange courteous gestures with his rivals even after their fight. The Clovis, California native also detailed the reason behind following this approach in a recent Q&A session on his YouTube channel after his loss at UFC Tampa:

"No. I never talk to my opponents after the fight. It’s serious business in there for me. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make money. So I’m not trying to be these guys friends. These are real beefs, you know all the guys that I fought. This is as real as it gets."

Check out Colby Covington's comments below (04:50):