Covington Slams Dana White's Zuffa Boxing as Betrayal to UFC Fighters

Colby Covington calls Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing a ‘slap in the face’ to UFC fighters.

The former interim welterweight champion did not soften his words in a recent interview with Ozoon Canada.

“I don’t like it at all,” Covington said of UFC fighter pay.

“It’s just tough. Ever since they got into the boxing space with Zuffa Boxing, it just was like a big slap in the face to us UFC fighters.”

Covington’s criticism centers on the disparity between what Zuffa Boxing pays its fighters and what UFC athletes earn.

He specifically pointed to Conor Benn, a British boxer who signed a single-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing.

Benn reportedly earned $15 million for that bout.

“Why are you going to pay this bum Conor Benn $15 million?” Covington asked.

“Who the f— is Conor Benn? Like, no one knows who that is. He’s a nobody. And he quit in his fight, literally just went out there to collect a paycheck and just quit.”

Covington noted that Benn did not deliver a competitive performance.

“He didn’t even put on a good performance, he was out in like three or four rounds against Ryan Garcia, who’s nothing special,” Covington said.

“You know, that guy was beat up by Rolly Romero just a fight before. So, I don’t like it.”

The UFC’s revenue sharing with fighters remains below 20 percent, according to industry reports cited in the source.

Zuffa Boxing, launched by UFC CEO Dana White, has signed several high-profile boxers with multi-million-dollar guarantees.

Covington’s remarks come months after his own contentious exit from the UFC.

He retired from the promotion in June 2026 after being denied his desired spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card outside the White House.

Covington went public with his complaints at the time, and fighter pay became a central issue in his criticism.

He has since accused the UFC of forcing fighters to accept matchups they do not want.

Covington has also called out Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov for their silence on the fighter pay debate.

“Chaos,” as Covington is known, was a vocal supporter of the UFC until this year.

His shift in tone has been dramatic.

The source material notes that it is unclear whether Covington’s push for improved pay is genuine or a response to the hostile end of his UFC career.

Dana White has not publicly responded to Covington’s latest comments.

The UFC CEO has been busy with several other developments in the promotion.

White recently confirmed that former two-division champion Ilia Topuria will return to the UFC in early 2027.

Topuria has been out since a brutal loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC White House in June.

Gaethje broke orbital bones around both of Topuria’s eyes before the fight was stopped after the fourth round.

White also addressed the lightweight title picture, which includes Gaethje, Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, and Max Holloway.

“The whole top 10 is straight killers and the most badass division we have right now,” White said.

White is also waiting on Gaethje’s decision about his fighting future.

A potential champion-versus-champion matchup with Alexander Volkanovski is on the table.

“I would pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career,” White said.