CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Colby Covington continues to shine on the RAF mats, showing no signs of slowing down.
Covington successfully defended his RAF cruiserweight crossover title for the first time last Friday at RAF 13, dominating Belal Muhammad with a 10-0 technical fall. Now undefeated 5-0 under the RAF banner, Covington is setting his sights on a high-profile second title defense. He wants to face either Kamaru Usman, whom he battled twice in UFC title fights, or Khamzat Chimaev, with whom he has had a long-running online feud.
“At RAF, there is a deep pool of talent to challenge myself against,” Covington said during the RAF 13 post-fight press conference. “Of course, ‘Marty Fakenewsman’ Usman is at the top of my list—we have unfinished business, and a trilogy would be huge. Khamzat Chimaev is also a top contender, but he needs to get serious about his weight and professionalism instead of missing weight or retiring over minor issues.”
While Covington retired from MMA earlier this year, both Chimaev and Usman remain active UFC fighters. Usman is not signed with RAF but has shown interest in competing in their wrestling matches. Meanwhile, Chimaev is under contract with RAF and recently improved to 3-0 in the promotion after defeating Gilbert Burns in the RAF 13 co-main event.
Regarding his fight with Muhammad, which was also fueled by a personal rivalry, Covington says there are no hard feelings now—even if he still takes jabs at the former UFC champion.
“There was no feud from my side, maybe he had some issues,” Covington said. “He was probably jealous of my success and career achievements. I never paid him much attention. If he mattered, UFC would have booked the fight; they never did. He fought at the Apex with empty seats, while I competed at Madison Square Garden in front of a $10 million gate—big difference.”
This story was first published on MMA Junkie: Colby Covington welcomes Kamaru Usman or Khamzat Chimaev for next RAF match.
Fan Take: This development is exciting because it brings major UFC rivalries into the RAF spotlight, potentially raising the profile of wrestling crossover matches. Seeing top-tier fighters like Covington, Usman, and Chimaev square off outside the octagon could reshape how combat sports fans engage with alternative competitive formats.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
