UFC welterweight Colby Covington will compete against former middleweight champion Chris Weidman in a professional freestyle wrestling match at RAF09 on May 30. This marks a departure from MMA competition for both fighters, who will test their grappling skills in a pure wrestling format. Covington holds a 17-5 overall record with a 12-5 UFC mark, while Weidman is 16-8 overall and 12-8 in the UFC. The bout represents an unusual crossover event featuring two established MMA fighters returning to wrestling competition. Details about the specific rules, weight class, or location of the RAF09 event were not provided in the announcement.
Colby Covington and Chris Weidman will square off outside the cage on May 30, meeting in a professional freestyle wrestling match at the RAF09 event rather than in a traditional MMA bout.
Covington, known as "Chaos," is a 38-year-old welterweight from the United States competing out of MMA Masters. He carries a 17-5 overall record, going 12-5 inside the UFC. A relentless pressure fighter, Covington averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition, making him one of the more decorated wrestling-based competitors in the welterweight division. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, he has built his career around suffocating top control and volume striking, landing 3.81 significant strikes per minute.
Weidman, nicknamed "The All-American," is a 42-year-old former UFC middleweight champion also representing the United States, training out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He holds a 16-8 overall record with a 12-8 UFC mark. At six-foot-two with a 78-inch reach, Weidman has long been regarded as one of the more technically sound wrestlers to compete at the elite level of MMA, averaging 3.27 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Both fighters bring legitimate wrestling pedigrees into a pure grappling format, raising the competitive stakes beyond a novelty crossover.
- Covington's slightly higher takedown rate sets up an intriguing contrast with Weidman's longer frame and greater reach advantage of six inches.
- The bout keeps both veterans active and visible without the physical risks of full MMA competition.
- Specific rules, weight class, and location for RAF09 have not yet been disclosed, leaving key details of the matchup unresolved ahead of the May 30 date.
