Colby Covington and Chris Weidman will compete in a professional freestyle wrestling match at RAF 09 on May 30. Covington holds a 17-5 overall MMA record with a 12-5 UFC mark, while Weidman's record stands at 16-8 overall and 12-8 in the UFC. Both former UFC contenders will be stepping outside the octagon for this grappling competition. The bout represents a rare opportunity to see elite MMA fighters compete in a pure wrestling format.
Colby Covington and Chris Weidman are set to trade the MMA cage for the wrestling mat, with the two veterans scheduled to meet in a professional freestyle wrestling match at RAF 9 on May 30.
Covington, known as "Chaos," carries a 17-5 overall MMA record into the bout, including a 12-5 mark inside the UFC. The 38-year-old American, who trains out of MMA Masters, built his reputation as one of the sport's elite grapplers, averaging 3.64 takedowns per fifteen minutes across his career. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, Covington is a former welterweight title challenger whose relentless wrestling-based pressure became his calling card at the highest level.
Weidman, nicknamed "The All-American," brings a 16-8 overall record and a 12-8 UFC ledger to the competition. The 42-year-old New Yorker, who trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, is a former UFC middleweight champion whose collegiate wrestling background was central to his rise. At six-foot-two with a 78-inch reach, Weidman averages 3.27 takedowns per fifteen minutes and has consistently demonstrated elite grappling instincts throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Both fighters built their MMA identities around wrestling, making this a legitimate test of pure grappling craft rather than a novelty exhibition.
- Covington holds a slight edge in takedown volume per fifteen minutes, while Weidman's longer reach of 78 inches could factor in ties and scrambles.
- The freestyle format strips away striking, putting the focus entirely on the takedown and control skills that defined both men's UFC careers.
- RAF 9 gains significant name recognition by booking two of the most accomplished wrestlers to compete in modern MMA.
