Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington participated in a face-off and have agreed to compete in an upcoming wrestling match. The announcement came with a poll asking fans to choose their favorite between the two fighters. Details about the date, location, and organization for this wrestling contest remain limited. This appears to be a crossover grappling event rather than an MMA bout. Both fighters are known for their wrestling backgrounds in mixed martial arts.
Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington have agreed to face each other in a wrestling match following a public staredown, with a fan poll launched to gauge support for each competitor ahead of the crossover grappling contest. Specific details regarding the date, location, and organizing body have not yet been announced.
Tsarukyan, nicknamed "Ahalkalakets," enters the event as the number-one ranked lightweight contender in the UFC. The 29-year-old Russian, who trains out of American Top Team, carries a 23-3-0 professional MMA record. He lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate and averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, underlining the wrestling credentials he would bring to a pure grappling setting. He stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach.
Covington, known as "Chaos," is a 38-year-old welterweight veteran from the United States fighting out of MMA Masters. He holds a 17-5-0 record and has long been recognized as one of the most relentless wrestlers in the welterweight division, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes across his MMA career. He stands five-foot-eleven and shares the same 72-inch reach as Tsarukyan.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the UFC's top-ranked lightweight, meaning any high-profile appearance outside the cage draws significant divisional attention
- Covington's elite wrestling pedigree makes this a credible grappling matchup on paper, not simply a celebrity crossover
- The weight and size difference between the two — Tsarukyan at lightweight, Covington at welterweight — adds an additional layer of intrigue to the stylistic contest
- No sanctioning body or ruleset has been confirmed, leaving key competitive details open
