RAF 12 Books Covington-Muhammad for Aug. 22 Co-Main After RAF 11 Brawl

Q: Will Covington's undefeated wrestling streak continue, or can Muhammad settle their UFC rivalry on the RAF mat?

Covington has the edge, but Muhammad has a real chance to make it competitive. The clearest evidence is Covington’s RAF form. He is 4-0 in the promotion and just beat Arman Tsarukyan 5-3 at RAF 11 to win the inaugural Cruiserweight Crossover title. He also owns RAF wins over Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis and Chris Weidman. That run suggests his wrestling has translated well to the RAF format, and analysts have pointed to his Division I All-American background and size as major advantages. Muhammad is not entering without momentum. He is 1-1 in RAF and is coming off a 6-3 win over Ben Askren at RAF 11, a result that showed he can score and manage a match in this ruleset. He also has a strong wrestling base from MMA, which gives him a credible path to challenge Covington if he can force scrambles and keep the pace high. Still, based on the available results, Covington remains the safer pick. He has the better RAF résumé, the title, and a proven record against bigger-name crossover opponents. Muhammad’s earlier RAF loss to David Carr also suggests he has not yet shown the same consistency in this promotion. The rivalry and the post-fight brawl add emotion, but the strongest factual indicator is performance on the mat. Right now, that favors Covington. Muhammad can settle the feud if he turns the match into a high-output, tactical wrestling fight, but Covington enters RAF 12 as the more likely winner.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Mania · Jul 19

Aug. 22 now has a grudge match in Cleveland after RAF added Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad as the RAF 12 co-main event at Rocket Arena.
RAF made the booking after tensions boiled over at the RAF 11 post-fight press conference, where Muhammad charged at Covington and kicked him following a heated exchange.
Covington enters 4-0 in RAF and will defend his Cruiserweight Crossover title after handing Arman Tsarukyan his first RAF loss in the RAF 11 main event.
Muhammad is 1-1 in the promotion after beating Ben Askren in the RAF 11 co-main, with RAF 12 also set to feature Jordan Burroughs vs. Sean Brady atop the card.