Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington Official: RAF 11 Headliner Set for July 18 in Milwaukee
Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington will face off on the wrestling mat to headline RAF 11 on July 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The matchup was announced live on the mat in Dallas immediately after Covington’s co-main event victory at RAF 09, ending months of public back-and-forth between the two fighters.
Colby Covington Meets Arman Tsarukyan on the Mat at RAF 11
The bout will be contested at cruiserweight and serve as the main event of the card. RAF executives confirmed the fight during the post-match ceremony, signaling no further obstacles remain now that Covington has retired from UFC competition. The event will take place at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and stream exclusively on FOX Nation.
Both men entered RAF 09 with momentum and left with victories. Tsarukyan defeated Mugzy via technical fall, improving his RAF record to 5–0. Covington edged former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in a tight match, moving to 3–0 in the promotion. Their mutual interest became clear during post-match interviews, when each called out the other inside the wrestling circle.
Tsarukyan was direct in his challenge. “We got tonight Colby Covington. I hope he is going to win. I’m gonna whoop his [expletive],” he said. “The number-one MMA wrestler is me and I’m gonna show everybody who is the best MMA wrestler on this mat”. Covington responded by interrupting Tsarukyan’s interview, calling his performance unimpressive and telling him to get ready. “Please, when we’re gonna wrestle, be ready because I don’t want to have easy money. I want to be in a legit wrestling match with you,” Tsarukyan added.
Covington embraced the official announcement afterward. “I’m thankful I could set up this big match with Arman. He’s been talking a lot of smack. So, now there’s no more excuses, he’s got to see me on that mat on Jul. 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” he told reporters. He emphasized his wrestling background, noting he is a high-level All-American at a similar size. “He’s been going against guys that are a lot smaller than him and don’t have the wrestling credentials as me. So, I’m gonna be a real challenge,” Covington explained. He added that he aims to hand Tsarukyan his first loss in RAF.
Tsarukyan’s schedule remains busy. He is already booked to wrestle former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13 in St. Louis. That event will also feature the main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis, marking Chimaev’s RAF debut. Covington previously defeated Danis at RAF 07 in March.
RAF 09 was headlined by Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, who made his promotion debut with a 10–0 technical fall over UFC and PFL veteran Alexandr Romanov. The card included 11 bouts overall, with additional notable names like Merab Dvalishvili and Frankie Edgar appearing on the lineup. More matches for RAF 11 are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tsarukyan, 29, trains at American Top Team and holds a 5–0 record in RAF. Covington, 37, is a former UFC lightweight title challenger with a 3–0 RAF record. The cruiserweight setting puts them at comparable size, though Covington suggested he may carry five to ten pounds of advantage.
For fans of grappling and MMA crossover, RAF 11 now delivers a clear main event draw. The July 18 date gives both fighters roughly six weeks to prepare after their RAF 09 performances. With Covington no longer bound by UFC obligations and Tsarukyan free to prioritize wrestling when not competing in the octagon, the fight finally has the green light to happen without restrictions.
