Self-proclaimed people's champion Colby Covington's forgotten DUI charges and assault allegations before UFC fame

Colby Covington is undeniably one of the well-known fighters in the UFC, thanks to his unfiltered and outspoken personality. The former interim welterweight champion is widely known for his incredible wrestling prowess and cardio.

While many are aware of Covington's brash personality, not many know about the self-proclaimed 'People's Champ' getting himself arrested for assault and driving under the influence during his college days.

Colby Covington began wrestling at Iowa Central Community College after dropping out of Arizona State University due to low grades. His roommate at Iowa Central was none other than UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

After winning the 165-pound national junior college wrestling title in 2007, 'Chaos' transferred to the wrestling program at the University of Iowa. In August 2008, Covington was reportedly arrested for drunk driving after he tried to race his car back to his apartment. His blood-alcohol level was 0.255, over thrice the legal limit of 0.08.

As a result, Colby Covington was suspended from the wrestling program for a year and later transferred to Oregon State University to start afresh. In May 2010, Covington got in trouble again for fourth-degree assault after getting involved in an altercation with two men near campus.

Since college, Colby Covington has undoubtedly come a long way. He is gearing up to face Leon Edwards for the 170-pound title at UFC 296 in December.

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Jorge Masvidal believes he's going to fight Colby Covington in the future

Jorge Masvidal recently vowed to settle his differences with Colby Covington at some point down the line.

The rivalry between the two former American Top Team (ATT) training partners is among the most well-known sagas in MMA. After several unfortunate incidents, their close friendship turned sour, and they became bitter rivals. Their feud led to them fighting in the octagon at UFC 272, where 'Chaos' won via unanimous decision.

However, Masvidal wasn't happy about Covington going overboard with his trash-talking in the build-up and attacked his old ATT teammate outside a Miami steakhouse in March 2022. The incident resulted in minor injuries for Covington, and he pressed charges.

Earlier this week, 'Gamebred' revealed that the court battle was over, and his multiple felony charges were dropped after he agreed to pay the court fees. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Masvidal iterated that his beef with Covington wasn't done and said:

"I don’t know when, but me and Colby are going to see each other at some point. Whether it’s in a f****** cage, or I don’t know where the f*** it’s going to be, but we’re going to see each other for him lying on my name... He should have never brought up my kids." [h/t mmafighting.com]

Watch the full interview below: