Arman Tsarukyan stated his goal is to silence Colby Covington following a future wrestling match in the RAF league. The Armenian fighter claimed he will defeat Covington with a dominant 10-0 score. Tsarukyan recently competed in RAF, a wrestling league, and is now looking ahead to a potential bout with the former UFC welterweight title challenger. His callout suggests growing crossover between MMA fighters and wrestling competitions. The specific details of when or where this potential match would take place were not disclosed in the announcement.
Arman Tsarukyan has set his sights on Colby Covington after competing in the RAF wrestling league, publicly calling out the former UFC welterweight title challenger and declaring he will shut him out with a perfect 10-0 score in a potential future match.
Tsarukyan, 29, currently holds the number-one ranking in the UFC lightweight division and carries a professional MMA record of 23-3-0. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, has built a reputation as a well-rounded threat, landing 3.85 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate while also averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. His recent participation in the RAF wrestling league signals an appetite to compete outside the cage, and his callout of Covington suggests he has no shortage of confidence heading into that arena.
Covington, 38, trains out of MMA Masters and owns an MMA record of 17-5-0. Known as "Chaos," the American has long marketed himself on the strength of his wrestling-heavy style, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes across his UFC career. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach and has previously challenged for the UFC welterweight title. The callout from Tsarukyan appears directed squarely at Covington's identity as a wrestler.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's involvement in RAF demonstrates growing crossover between top MMA talent and competitive wrestling leagues.
- A matchup would pit two fighters with nearly identical 72-inch reaches and comparable grappling credentials against each other on a wrestling mat rather than an MMA canvas.
- No date, location, or formal agreement for the bout has been announced, leaving the challenge unconfirmed on Covington's end.
