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Colby Covington added another accolade to his decorated wrestling résumé on Saturday night, defeating UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan by a 5 and 3 scoreline to capture the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship at RAF 11 in Milwaukee.
The RAF 11 main event brought together two of the most accomplished wrestlers currently competing in mixed martial arts. Covington’s experience as a Division I All American ultimately proved decisive as he controlled key moments of the contest to remain unbeaten in Real American Freestyle while handing Tsarukyan his first defeat in the promotion.
The victory improves Covington’s RAF record to 3 and 0, while Tsarukyan falls to 7 and 1 after previously enjoying an impressive run inside the organization.
Covington capitalizes on crucial moments
Tsarukyan entered the arena embracing the local atmosphere by wearing a Wisconsin cheese head before the opening whistle. Once the action began, however, both competitors immediately settled into an intense tactical battle.
Covington held a noticeable size advantage, but Tsarukyan showed no hesitation in engaging from the opening exchange. Both wrestlers worked through tie ups, arm drags and snap downs during a competitive first period without either man finding a significant breakthrough.
Late in the opening frame, Tsarukyan attacked with a single leg attempt, but Covington countered brilliantly with a waist wrap before scoring the opening takedown. Combined with an earlier shot clock point, the sequence gave Covington a valuable 3 and 0 advantage heading into the second round.
Tsarukyan fights back but falls short
The second period saw Tsarukyan produce his best wrestling of the match.
The Armenian lightweight contender secured a clean single leg, lifted Covington off the mat and completed an impressive takedown to reduce the deficit. Moments later, Covington responded with an attack of his own, only for Tsarukyan to scramble effectively and avoid surrendering additional points.
As the round approached its conclusion, Tsarukyan attempted another late takedown. Covington defended the shot perfectly before turning the position into another scoring sequence that restored his three point cushion entering the final period.
Needing multiple scores to force a comeback, Tsarukyan increased the pace in the third round and constantly pressured the former UFC interim welterweight champion.
His aggression eventually forced Covington into a shot clock violation, but despite repeated attacks, Tsarukyan struggled to break through Covington’s disciplined defensive wrestling at RAF 11. Covington consistently sprawled out of danger and managed the closing stages intelligently to secure a hard fought 5 and 3 victory.
Covington praises Tsarukyan after RAF 11 Bout
Despite the competitive contest, Covington spoke respectfully about his opponent during the post match interview with Chael Sonnen.
The American predicted that Tsarukyan will eventually reach the top of the UFC lightweight division.
“Arman’s gonna be lightweight champ. I’m for sure of it, and I can’t wait to witness it. It was an honor to compete against Arman tonight.”
Covington also praised Tsarukyan’s wrestling abilities.
“His tie ups, his feints, getting to the legs, able to build up. He’s a strong dude. That was a tough guy I took down to win this belt. It’s an honor to be the first crossover champion in RAF history.”
The performance highlighted why Tsarukyan is widely regarded as one of the strongest wrestlers competing in the UFC, despite coming up short against the larger Covington.
Covington immediately calls out former UFC champions
Once the celebrations began, Covington quickly shifted his attention toward future title defenses.
Never one to avoid promoting potential matchups, he called out several familiar names from his UFC career.
“Bring on Chimaev, bring on Belal. Bring on Woodley. They can all get it. I’m defending this crossover championship for America.”
Among the names mentioned were former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, former titleholder Tyron Woodley and former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, setting up several intriguing possibilities if Real American Freestyle continues to organize crossover events featuring current and former MMA stars.
RAF continues attracting elite MMA talent
Real American Freestyle has rapidly gained attention by combining elite freestyle wrestling with recognizable names from mixed martial arts.
RAF 11 featured several former UFC fighters alongside accomplished international wrestlers. Belal Muhammad defeated Ben Askren by a 6 and 3 scoreline, while former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar comfortably beat Clay Guida 9 and 1 in another notable matchup.
RAF 11 also crowned Lucia Lepez as the women’s strawweight champion following a dominant technical fall victory over Felicity Taylor.
With Covington becoming the inaugural Cruiserweight Crossover Champion, RAF now has one of the sport’s biggest personalities holding championship gold.
A statement victory for Covington
Saturday’s performance showcased the wrestling pedigree that helped establish Covington as one of the UFC’s most accomplished grapplers long before he became known for his striking improvements inside the Octagon.
By defeating one of the UFC’s elite lightweight contenders, Covington not only captured the first RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship but also reaffirmed that his wrestling remains among the best in combat sports.
For Tsarukyan, the defeat ends an impressive unbeaten run in RAF, but his performance against a larger and highly accomplished wrestler demonstrated why he remains one of the leading contenders in the UFC lightweight division.
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