Colby Covington criticized Arman Tsarukyan for throwing Urijah Faber off the wrestling mat and engaging in fights on the mat, calling the behavior unprofessional. Covington stated he wants to teach Tsarukyan a lesson and won't allow disrespect toward Americans in the wrestling world.
Colby Covington has set his sights on lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, publicly calling out the Russian fighter over an incident in which Tsarukyan allegedly threw veteran Urijah Faber off a wrestling mat and became involved in a physical altercation on the mats.
Covington, 38, made clear he takes the episode personally. The welterweight, who carries a 17-5 record and trains out of MMA Masters, framed the situation as a matter of respect for Americans in the wrestling community. He stated he intends to teach Tsarukyan a lesson and will not tolerate that kind of behavior going unchallenged.
The target of his criticism, Tsarukyan, is currently ranked first in the UFC lightweight division at just 29 years old. The Russian fighter holds a 23-3 record and trains out of American Top Team. He is one of the more complete fighters in the 155-pound class, landing 3.85 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate while also averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Faber, the 47-year-old California Kid and longtime Team Alpha Male fixture who holds a 35-11 career record, was at the center of the incident that drew Covington's ire.
Why it matters
- Covington is a career welterweight calling out a top-ranked lightweight, meaning any potential matchup would carry significant cross-divisional complications
- Tsarukyan is the number-one contender at lightweight, so any controversy surrounding him carries divisional weight at 155 pounds
- Covington averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes, making a wrestling-based rivalry with Tsarukyan a stylistically compelling hypothetical given Tsarukyan's own elite grappling output
