Covington Edges Weidman To Set Up Tsarukyan Clash

Colby Covington has extended his unbeaten RAF record with a hard-fought victory over Chris Weidman in the co-main event of RAF 09.

Weidman drew first blood, using Covington's momentum against him to score a throw and take an early two-point lead. A scramble sequence at the end of the first period went to review, with officials ultimately determining the score to be 4-2 in Weidman's favour heading into the second.

From there, the fight became a conditioning battle — and that is a fight Covington is built to win. He worked his way back with a late takedown to level the contest before the third period, where Weidman was placed on the shot clock and unable to score the takedown he needed. Covington took the match by a single point.

The Arman The Tsarukyan matchup agreed post-fight adds a significant layer to both men's summers. Tsarukyan is the UFC's number one ranked lightweight contender and the official backup fighter for UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, while Covington recently retired from MMA to focus on the wrestling circuit. Their agreement to meet in Milwaukee in July sets up one of the more compelling RAF matchups the promotion has put together.