Colby Covington has long been one of the most polarizing personalities in combat sports. The former UFC interim welterweight champion is known for stirring controversy with his relentless trash talk, but every now and then, he drops the villain act.
Following his latest win in grappling, Covington had nothing but praise for Arman Tsarukyan, even predicting that the lightweight contender will one day become a UFC champion.
The two finally settled their long-running rivalry in the main event of RAF 11, where they competed for the promotion's inaugural Crossover Championship in Milwaukee. Covington leaned on his trademark wrestling to control the action and earned a 5-3 victory, snapping Tsarukyan's seven-fight unbeaten run in RAF while capturing the historic title.
The matchup had been brewing for months, with both fighters trading jabs on social media and repeatedly calling each other out. But despite all the back-and-forth, the buildup remained surprisingly respectful.
That mutual respect continued after the fight, as Covington praised Tsarukyan's skills and expressed confidence that the Armenian will eventually wear UFC gold at 155lbs.
I literally told him, 'You are going to be the UFC lightweight champion.' I am so convinced. I am so convinced, no one is going to beat him at lightweight. That is a perfect division. Justin Gaethje has no chance. Just the pace, the wrestling. The way he mixes it up with everything, no one is going to stop him right now.
Colby Covington via Submission RadioCovington and Tsarukyan exchanged heavy trash talk for months before their RAF 11 clash. Tsarukyan called out 'Chaos' and vowed to take away his self-proclaimed 'King of Miami' status. The former UFC welterweight answered with an official callout after his RAF 09 victory over Chris Weidman, setting up their eventual showdown.
Covington's praise was notable because it came after his highly publicized split with the UFC. He previously discussed Tsarukyan's situation, suggesting the Armenian contender had been frozen by the promotion over minor issues. Covington argued that the case reflected how much control the UFC holds over fighters' careers.
Since returning to the Octagon at UFC Qatar with a submission victory over Dan Hooker, Tsarukyan has repeatedly called for a lightweight title shot. The scrutiny surrounding his position became even clearer when the UFC overlooked him for the interim lightweight championship fight at UFC 324.
The UFC lightweight title picture changed at UFC Freedom 250 when Justin Gaethje handed Ilia Topuria his first career loss to win the lightweight championship. Tsarukyan has since urged Gaethje to retire, believing younger contenders like himself deserve the opportunity to compete for UFC gold.
Colby Covington never captured undisputed UFC gold, but remained one of the UFC's most resilient competitors until the end of his 12-year career. His prediction reflects the respect he has for Arman Tsarukyan's abilities. It remains to be seen whether the lightweight contender can eventually fulfill that prediction
Colby Covington made his RAF debut at RAF 05 against Luke Rockhold, defeating the former UFC middleweight champion by points decision. He continued his run at RAF 07 against Dillon Danis, securing another victory by technical fall under the promotion's rules.
Covington returned at RAF 09 against Chris Weidman, defeating the UFC middleweight legend by technical fall in another dominant performance. He then faced Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11, where he earned a points victory over the lightweight contender to capture the inaugural RAF Crossover Championship.
Following his RAF 11 title victory, Covington shared the stage with Belal Muhammad at the post-fight press conference. The exchange became heated after Muhammad criticized the American star's win. This led to a physical altercation where Muhammad charged forward and threw a kick before security separated them.
Covington and Muhammad were later scheduled to face each other at RAF 12 following their press conference altercation. However, the newly crowned RAF champion revealed the matchup was canceled after discussions with RAF officials, citing concerns regarding Muhammad's ability to compete.
Let me tell you the reasons why. First off, he's on the mic at the post-fight press conference, he's claiming to be a man of the people, 'Oh, I care about the kids, I want to be a good example, I'm sorry I cussed,' and then the next second he stands up and throws a soccer kick at me and runs across the stage to try and attack me like a freaking filthy animal. There's no professionalism on his side. So, of course, the company knows I'd beat him in 60 seconds or less in a wrestling match, but we know he's not going to be able to wrestle me.
Colby Covington via Submission RadioCovington also stated that the Muhammad matchup did not make sense for him, as he remains interested in a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan. He also hinted at reigniting his rivalry with Khamzat Chimaev in RAF, with 'Borz' already making his promotional debut at RAF 10.
The rivalry between 'Chaos' and 'Bully B' dates back to their UFC careers, with both fighters exchanging callouts on social media. However, with RAF yet to release an official statement, Colby Covington's recent comments could also be part of promoting their potential grudge match.
(1216 Articles Published)