“I’ve never asked for more money, not one time in my career. I fought Demian Maia for $30,000. The No. 2 guy in the world, I was fighting for $30,000. So I don’t care about money. It’s not about money. I’m in this to be the best fighter in the world, to put on entertaining shows, and to please the fans.” Colby Covington said this in 2019 in an MMA Fighting Interview. This was about him feeling frustrated after missing out on a title shot at UFC 228 against Tyron Woodley owing to a septum correction surgery. This was after the Clovis native captured the interim belt at UFC 225 but missed out on challenging ‘T-Wood’ after being offered a short notice date. The division went forward and Darren Till got the nod to face Woodley for the title instead.

The same pattern repeated when Kamaru Usman leapfrogged ‘Chaos’ and challenged Woodley at UFC 235. But why are we talking about this? Well, during that time, Covington claimed he didn’t care about money. The rising 170-pounder just wanted to prove himself, entertain the masses, and win the big one. His brash and arrogant ‘heelish-persona’ has made people uncomfortable but it has worked in his favor. 6 years later, Covington is certainly reaping the benefits of his initial hunger for greatness.

For the unversed, Covington started small and earned just $8,000 to show and win in his UFC debut against Anying Wang. But over time, he has built an estimated net worth of $4.4 million. His rising fame brought bigger paychecks and new opportunities outside the Octagon. Now, Covington seems eager to explore new ways to grow his net worth. The former interim champ believes streaming offers a more lucrative path than fighting. At 37, he recently trained with Kick streamer N3on in which the host asked if Covington would prefer to be the world’s number one fighter or number one streamer.

Without wasting any time, Colby Covington quipped, “Number one streamer. Because, they get paid a little more money, and you don’t have to get hit in the face. So!” 

Covington’s discovery of other lucrative endeavors is not new as he has reportedly earned around $319,000 from poker tournaments. That’s a solid chunk of money for what many would call a side quest. As the checks rolled in, that shift in mindset even sparked an idea to cross over to WWE. Just like Ronda Rousey, he considered making the leap for a bigger payday.

The former interim king once revealed his philosophy of making money on SB Nation’s ‘What the Heck’ show. “I want to make sure when I go there I make the biggest splash possible because I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time, and I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to make money. When I go over there I want to make Brink’s truckloads of money.” 

Other UFC stars like Demetrious Johnson and Max Holloway have already found success in the online streaming space. However, when fans heard that Colby Covington might choose streaming over martial arts, the reaction was mixed. Some welcomed the shift, while others questioned his passion for fighting.

Fans react to Colby Covington’s potential career change to streaming

A user didn’t waste any time questioning Covington’s drive as a fighter and wrote, “So he’s basically saying he’s not a real fighter… Yeah, money is f—— awesome but most fighters would still compete if they weren’t getting paid well. Another user countered this point by writing, “ik it’s Colby but nothing he said was wrong a lot of our favorite top fighters where to wake up with Kai’s bank account I promise you a good bit of them will fight way less often then they normally do.”

Covington is known for speaking his mind, and this situation was no different. One fan appreciated his honesty, writing, “Y’all are hating ’cause he answered a question honestly.” Another user took it a step further, saying, “Wouldn’t surprise me if he announced his retirement after hearing this.” That comment reflected concerns about his age, now which is 37, and also his recent underwhelming performances. Most notably his brutal doctor stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa last year.

Another fan countered Covington’s point, writing, “Not true, look at Conor,” referring to how Conor McGregor built massive wealth through both his MMA success and business ventures. Meanwhile, others saw Covington’s comments as coming from a place of disappointment. One user wrote, “He really wished to be the champ, but he couldn’t—so of course he’s talking.” Another added, “At least he admits he’s washed,” critically bashing the former interim 170lbs champion’s choice.

Do you think Colby Covington can become a great streamer? Please comment below.