button in SafariColby Covington, Playing Poker at the WSOP, Gives Take on UFC at the White House
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Combat-sports star Colby Covington is taking on some new challenges these days.
The mixed martial artist with a 17-5 UFC record has over $420,000 in live poker tournament cashes recorded by The Hendon Mob database, most of the scores coming in no-limit hold'em. But the world-class athlete took on the $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha event at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Covington, who has competed in Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) events, isn't new to PLO. He's racked up a few tournament cashes in the poker variant over the years, but cashing in this one could skyrocket his career earnings.
"My PLO game is pretty good," he told PokerNews on a break. "PLO's a lot bigger variance, so I like it because I'm a gambler and it's more of a gambler's game so, you know, it takes away some of the edge all these good pros in hold'em, because they can just sit there and wait for aces all day, and they're just very tight. So, PLO is a lot funner."
New Form of Wrestling
The retired UFC fighter has recently taken on another challenge, but this one doesn't involve poker. Covington now competes in the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling promotion, and he's already 3-0. But his next opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, another UFC star, will be his toughest battle to date on July 18 in Milwaukee. Strangely, Covington was seated next to the person who got him involved in RAF in the PLO High Roller.
"Yeah, so it's actually super bizarre that the one person I got sat next to is the guy that got me into RAF, Noah Schwartz. The reason I'm in RAF today is because my boy Noah Schwartz and the owner and CEO of Real American Freestyle, his name is Chad Bronstein. So, you know, they enlisted my services, and I'm just very grateful to be competing in such a high-level league — the first really of its kind. You know, wrestling's never really been able to have a platform, and now Real American Freestyle has brought this great sport, one of the oldest sports in the world, you know," Covington said.
Schwartz, who has over $7 million in live tournament cashes, hails from Florida like Covington. They battled in some pots against each other during the Day 1b session on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
When Covington leaves the WSOP, he'll get back to solely focusing on a long-anticipated match with Tsarukyan, who holds a 5-0 RAF record. The competition will be livestreamed on the FOX Nation app.
"We're gonna be traveling like rockstars, hitting different cities all throughout the rest of the year. We're going to Miami, we're coming back here actually to Vegas in October. It's just gonna be a great tour for Real American Freestyle," Covington said.
What Did Colby Covington Think About the UFC Production at the White House?
Covington may no longer be on the UFC roster, but he still spoke glowing praises of the biggest — and most expensive — UFC production ever, and that was the June 14 fight card at the White House.
"Yeah, it was an amazing production, man," Covington said of the UFC taking place at the White House. "UFC is, you know, top of the class for putting on the biggest fights in the world, you know, the most high-level fights and just crazy places. Whoever would have thought there'd be a UFC on the South Lawn with the President of the United States watching? So, you know, it was great. They made history."
"It was an electric night of fights. I know all the fans loved it. Super excited for the UFC and what they're doing."
Covington, however, doesn't think UFC President and CEO Dana White will host another event at the White House due to costs associated with the production.
"I think the ROI didn't make sense for the UFC, so I don't see them doing it again. But, that's what makes it so special and makes it really history, because it's a one-off," Covington said.
Covington, at the time of publishing, still had a decent stack in the PLO High Roller late in the Day 1b session. Whether he wins the event or not, he said he plans to enter the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, which starts June 19, before his upcoming RAF fight.
