Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington conducted a face-off and verbally agreed to meet in an upcoming wrestling match. The confrontation appears to have resulted in both fighters committing to the contest, though official contract details have not been announced. The agreement came following their direct interaction and exchange.
Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington reportedly verbally agreed to compete against each other in a wrestling match following a face-off between the two fighters, though no official contract details have been announced and the agreement remains unconfirmed.
Tsarukyan, 29, is currently ranked number one in the UFC lightweight division and carries an impressive 23-3-0 professional record. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, is one of the more well-rounded competitors in the 155-pound class. He averages 3.85 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate, and adds a steady 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes to his arsenal, making him a credible threat in any grappling exchange.
Covington, nicknamed "Chaos," is a 38-year-old American wrestling specialist with a 17-5-0 record who has long built his reputation on suffocating grappling pressure. Training out of MMA Masters, Covington averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes and 3.81 significant strikes landed per minute. His wrestling credentials are well established across his career at welterweight, where he has tested the best in the division.
Why it matters
- A wrestling-only contest would pit two fighters who each average over three takedowns per 15 minutes, making for a genuinely competitive grappling matchup on paper.
- Tsarukyan competes at lightweight while Covington has operated at welterweight, meaning the two have never shared a competitive stage in MMA, adding novelty to the reported agreement.
- Because no contract has been signed and no official announcement has been made, the status of this matchup should be treated as unconfirmed until further details emerge.
