UFC Welterweight Star Dominates Poker Table As Well

UFC welterweight star Colby Covington has had a successful week at the poker table in Florida, taking home over $70,000 in winnings as he expands his competitive skillset.

UFC Welterweight Star Dominates Poker Table As Well

It takes incredible focus, time and talent to rise to the top in any area of sport. For every champion, there are thousands of others who didn’t have what it takes.

Colby Covington is One of Those Champions

Over the last eight years, Covington has knuckled in and worked his way to the pinnacle of the UFC’s welterweight division. As former interim welterweight champion of the world, and current world number three, the American MMA fighter knows what it takes to reach the pinnacle of a sport.
So much so, that he’s decided conquering one sport is not enough.

Covington Wins Over $70,000 at the Poker Table

With a record of 17-3, Colby Covington, UFC welterweight star, has scored plenty of knockouts in the ring across his career.
Last week, however, he was knocking players out of poker tournaments at his local casino, the Seminole Hard Rock.

Throughout the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, Covington has pulled in earnings of $74,170. This figure is made up of a tournament win, taking down his third Hendon Mob live tournament for $25,875, as well as a seventh place finish in the $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em, where his appearance at the final table saw him bag $48,295 in prize money.

The $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em saw a record-breaking field of 7,703—a field to rival the size of last month’s WSOP in Monte Carlo, and making it Florida’s largest ever poker tournament. With a total pool of $2,541,990, the final table was eventually won by Andrew Pecina, who benefitted from a five-way deal, cut just moments after Covington exited the tournament, as Corel Theuma also went bust.

Clearly, Covington’s seventh place finish in such a large tournament stirred the competitive fighter in him, as it drove him to return to the poker table immediately.

A Point to Prove, and a Point Proven

Speaking after his victory in Event #22 of the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, Covington explained to his fans why he had returned to the table so soon after his seventh place finish in the $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em.

“I wanted to come back and prove that wasn’t just a fluke,” said Covington, “And show that I could play with the best players in the world.”

Point Proven Colby, Point Proven

In a much smaller field of 84 players, none of his competitors were able to get the better of the UFC welterweight star.

Covington elaborated that his strategy was to avoid getting entangled with Phil Hui, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner. The plan worked, as Covington finished in first place, while Hui bowed out in fourth for $6,680. Other notable placings were David Shmuel and Salvatore Pipitone, who placed second and third, taking home $15,980 and $9,985 respectively.

Now, to the relief of many Floridan poker players, Covington turns his eyes back to the octagon, where his next fight is soon to be confirmed.