Colby Covington and Chris Weidman will compete in a professional wrestling match at RAF 09 on May 30. Covington brings a 17-5 overall record with a 12-5 mark in the UFC, while Weidman holds a 16-8 overall record and 12-8 in the UFC. This will be a freestyle wrestling competition rather than an MMA bout. Both former UFC contenders are venturing into competitive wrestling as they continue their combat sports careers outside of mixed martial arts.
Colby Covington and Chris Weidman are set to step onto the wrestling mat together when they meet in a professional freestyle wrestling bout at RAF 09 on May 30, 2026.
Covington, known as "Chaos," enters the competition with a 17-5 overall record and 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 most relentless wrestlers in the welterweight division, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his UFC career. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, Covington has long leaned on his wrestling base as the foundation of his combat sports identity.
Weidman, nicknamed "The All-American," brings a 16-8 overall record and a 12-8 UFC mark into the contest. The 42-year-old New Yorker, who competes out of Serra-Longo Fight Team, is a credentialed collegiate wrestler whose grappling credentials were central to his rise to UFC middleweight champion. He stands six-foot-two with a 78-inch reach and averaged 3.27 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition.
Why it matters
- Both fighters have deep wrestling pedigrees, making this a technically credible freestyle matchup rather than a novelty exhibition
- The bout takes place outside of MMA, reflecting both men continuing their combat sports careers in alternative formats
- Covington's volume wrestling style against Weidman's technically grounded collegiate background sets up an intriguing contrast on the mat
