Colby Covington has turned up the warmth on Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev, laying out a plan to “crush” the light-weight contender on the Actual American Freestyle mats after which name out the UFC middleweight champion subsequent.
Colby Covington on Arman Tsarukyan
In a current interview with Submission Radio after RAF 7, Covington detailed his curiosity in a wrestling match with Tsarukyan, who has develop into one of many UFC’s key figures at 155 kilos whereas additionally staying energetic in RAF. Covington stated he needs Tsarukyan in RAF first, then Chimaev, promising that he would “crush his boy proper in entrance of him” earlier than turning to the Chechen star on the mats. He added that if Chimaev chooses to wrestle him, “he is aware of how excessive stage I’m,” framing the entire push as a option to show his expertise in a rule set that favors pure grappling.
Covington has leaned closely on his historical past with Tsarukyan at American Top Team to promote the matchup. Talking with Submission Radio, he claimed the Armenian was his “mild rounds” at ATT, saying that when exhausting rounds have been completed he would usher in Tsarukyan and “beat him up” as a younger coaching companion.
Within the Submission Radio follow-up, Covington went additional, insisting “100% we grappled,” that he was “ranges above him,” took Tsarukyan down “many occasions,” and that Tsarukyan by no means scored a takedown on him. He accused Tsarukyan of “appearing a bit conceited” and “not being actual and truthful” about how these classes really went.
Tsarukyan has develop into a central determine in RAF in addition to the UFC, with current wins within the wrestling league over Lance Palmer and Georgio Poullas and a booked rematch with Poullas after a heated post-fight scene earlier within the 12 months.
Covington, in the meantime, is coming off RAF wins together with a debut victory over Luke Rockhold and a choice over Dillon Danis at RAF 7, which he has used to argue that he’s “undefeated in RAF” and a key title for the promotion’s future playing cards. The American has additionally claimed that the UFC and chief enterprise officer Hunter Campbell blocked an earlier try to safe a Tsarukyan wrestling matchup in RAF, arguing that UFC contracts are stopping him from dealing with energetic roster contenders on the freestyle circuit.
Colby Covington’s newest speaking factors come on the again of a profitable outing at RAF 7, the place he earned a choice win over Dillon Danis of their freestyle wrestling most important occasion. In that match, Covington pushed a gentle tempo and managed giant parts of the grappling exchanges, utilizing strain, mat returns, and high management to edge Danis on the scorecards.
The consequence gave him one other excessive‑profile win on the RAF stage and strengthened his argument that he’s nonetheless a severe menace in pure wrestling in opposition to elite names. With Danis handled in RAF, Covington has been much more vocal about wanting Tsarukyan subsequent on the mats after which dragging Khamzat Chimaev into the identical setting to settle their feud in entrance of a reside crowd.
Colby Covington Desires Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev sits as the subsequent goal on this public marketing campaign. Covington has stated RAF officers have mentioned a possible wrestling conflict with the middleweight champion after Chimaev’s subsequent title protection and has accused him of scamming supporters with a controversial memecoin venture, claiming he raised thousands and thousands earlier than pulling the plug.
Covington framed a future RAF showdown with Chimaev as a sort of payback, saying followers “need me to get revenge” and that “the RAF mats” could be the right setting for it. Whether or not the UFC indicators off on any of those wrestling grudge matches remains to be unclear, however Covington’s message is easy: dominate Tsarukyan in entrance of Chimaev, then drag “Borz” into the freestyle highlight subsequent.
