Colby Covington set to face Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July
2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: May 31, 2026, 3:58 AM
Last updated May 31, 2026
Colby Covington will fight Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at RAF 11 on July 18, hosted at Milwaukee's UWM Panther Arena. Covington, who recently retired from the UFC, and Tsarukyan both secured victories at RAF 9, where they called each other out. Tsarukyan boasts a 5-0 record in RAF after defeating Mugzy, while Covington holds a 3-0 record following a close win over Chris Weidman. This matchup comes amid unconfirmed reports about UFC's stance on fighters competing in RAF. The card for RAF 11 is expected to expand with additional matchups in the weeks leading up to the event.
- •Covington retired from UFC prior to this match
- •Match set for July 18 in Milwaukee
- •Tsarukyan holds a 5-0 record in RAF
- •Covington is 3-0 in RAF after recent win
- •More fights expected to be added to RAF 11
- 3:58 AMYahoo Sports — Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington official as RAF 11 main event
- 3:58 AMMMA Fighting — Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington official as RAF 11 main event
"Colby Covington retired from the UFC to pursue a more active career in wrestling and now he’s set up for a huge match as he faces Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at RAF 11, which is set to take place on July 18 from Milwaukee’s UWM Panther Arena. RAF officials made the matchup official after Covington and Tsarukyan both won and called each other out at RAF 9 on Saturday in Dallas. View this post on Instagram While UFC officials have never stated anything on the record, it’s been rumored that the promotion wasn’t on board with active fighters facing each other in RAF. But that potential hurdle was cleared with Covington announcing his retirement recently, which now sets him up for the showdown against Tsarukyan in July. Earlier in the night, Tsarukyan moved to 5-0 in RAF with a tech fall victory over Mugzy and he’s already set up for another match at RAF 10 when he faces former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. Thus far, Tsarukyan hasn’t faced any wrestler with accolades anywhere close to Covington, who was a fifth place finisher in college when he was an NCAA All-American at Oregon State. As for Covington, he picked up a win over former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman on Saturday with a final score of 5-4 in a closely contest matchup between the two All-American wrestlers. The win put Covington at 3-0 in RAF and he’ll try to keep that momentum going when he faces Tsarukyan in July. Tsarukyan vs. Covington headlines the card with more matches expected to be added to RAF 11 in the coming weeks.
"Colby Covington retired from the UFC and now he’s getting the match he’s always wanted in RAF
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsMay 31, 2026, 3:58 AMArman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington official as RAF 11 main event
Colby Covington retired from the UFC and now he’s getting the match he’s always wanted in RAF
- MMA FightingMay 31, 2026, 3:58 AMArman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington official as RAF 11 main event
Colby Covington retired from the UFC to pursue a more active career in wrestling and now he’s set up for a huge match as he faces Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at RAF 11, which is set to take place on July 18 from Milwaukee’s UWM Panther Arena. RAF officials made the matchup official after Covington and Tsarukyan both won and called each other out at RAF 9 on Saturday in Dallas. View this post on Instagram While UFC officials have never stated anything on the record, it’s been rumored that the promotion wasn’t on board with active fighters facing each other in RAF. But that potential hurdle was cleared with Covington announcing his retirement recently, which now sets him up for the showdown against Tsarukyan in July. Earlier in the night, Tsarukyan moved to 5-0 in RAF with a tech fall victory over Mugzy and he’s already set up for another match at RAF 10 when he faces former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. Thus far, Tsarukyan hasn’t faced any wrestler with accolades anywhere close to Covington, who was a fifth place finisher in college when he was an NCAA All-American at Oregon State. As for Covington, he picked up a win over former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman on Saturday with a final score of 5-4 in a closely contest matchup between the two All-American wrestlers. The win put Covington at 3-0 in RAF and he’ll try to keep that momentum going when he faces Tsarukyan in July. Tsarukyan vs. Covington headlines the card with more matches expected to be added to RAF 11 in the coming weeks.
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