Arman Tsarukyan vows to shut up Colby Covington, predicts 10-0 wrestling win

Arman Tsarukyan has publicly challenged Colby Covington ahead of a wrestling match between the two in the RAF league, vowing to silence "Chaos" with a dominant 10-0 victory in the grappling-only contest.

Tsarukyan, 29, carries a 23-3 record and currently sits as the number-one ranked lightweight contender. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and 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 confidence in a wrestling-specific format appears rooted in genuine grappling credentials.

Covington, 38, holds a 17-5 record and has long marketed himself as an elite wrestler throughout his MMA career. The American, who trains at MMA Masters, stands five-foot-eleven and averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes himself, making any claim of a 10-0 shutout a bold one. Reaction to Tsarukyan's prediction has been mixed, with some observers expressing skepticism about the lopsided scoreline even while backing the Armenian-born fighter.

Why it matters

• Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender, so any high-profile rivalry carries divisional weight
• A wrestling-specific bout adds an unusual competitive dimension outside the Octagon
• The style matchup pits two fighters with nearly identical reach and comparable takedown averages, making the 10-0 prediction a genuine talking point
• The exchange escalates what appears to be a growing personal rivalry between the two