Colby Covington Defeats Arman Tsarukyan

Colby Covington is the first-ever crossover champion in the RAF organization.

On Saturday night in Milwaukee, Covington faced Arman Tsarukyan in a battle for the inaugural title. The former NCAA Division I wrestler showcased his class, overcoming Tsarukyan in an extremely competitive clash.

Tsarukyan came out trying to win over the Wisconsin crowd, sporting a traditional cheesehead hat. Covington was noticeably the bigger of the two in the matchup, but this didn't deter Tsarukyan, who immediately engaged. Both fighters clinched, but neither managed to gain a significant advantage from these positions, employing various techniques. Towards the end of the first round, Tsarukyan changed levels for a single-leg attack, but Covington responded with a waist lock, took him down, and took a 3-0 lead, including a point earned earlier in the round for his opponent's passivity.

Covington's defense remained very solid, but in the second round, Tsarukyan executed a cleaner single-leg attack, lifted Covington into the air, and completed a takedown after the American gave up position to avoid exposure points. Following the restart, Covington finally attempted a takedown of his own, but Tsarukyan defended successfully, preventing any points after a spectacular scramble. However, just like in the first round, Tsarukyan launched a weak attack at the end, and Covington defended with a sprawl, circling around him to earn two more points.

Entering the third round, Tsarukyan trailed by three points and fought with urgency, constantly pressing and attacking. This led to a penalty point for passivity against Covington, but Tsarukyan never managed to break through his defense to score. He continued to try, but Covington defended effectively, giving him no openings, ultimately securing a 5-3 victory and handing Tsarukyan his first loss in RAF.

After the match, Covington offered high praise for Tsarukyan, stating that he would soon become a UFC Lightweight Champion. He then listed a series of potential opponents for his new title, including Belal Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev.