Colby Covington defeated Arman Tsarukyan to win the inaugural RAF crossover cruiserweight championship. Covington and Tsarukyan headlined RAF 11 and competed in an entertaining matchup that went the distance.
‘Chaos’ secured the victory on points, winning with a final score of 5-3. Both competitors entered the matchup with undefeated RAF records. Tsarukyan has been among the most active competitors in the promotion.
Covington, meanwhile, had also been fairly active, having wrestled and defeated the likes of Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis, and Chris Weidman. While many may have assumed Covington would be the betting favorite due to his high-level collegiate wrestling background, that was not the case.
Tsarukyan entered the matchup as the betting favorite, while Covington was listed as a sizeable +650 underdog. That means a $20 wager on ‘Chaos’ to win would return a total payout of $150.
During his post-match interview with Chael Sonnen, Covington expressed gratitude for being the first-ever crossover cruiserweight champion. He also set the stage for future matchups and heaped praise on Tsarukyan.
“Super impressed [with Tsarukyan]. His tie-ups, feints, getting to the legs. He’s a strong dude, man. That was a tough guy I took down tonight to win this belt. It’s an honor to be the first crossover champion in RAF history. Anybody can get it,” Covington said post-match. “Bring on [Khamzat] Chimaev, bring on that cross-eyed [expletive] dork Belal [Muhammad], bring on [Tyron] Woodley. They can all get it, bro. I’ll defend this crossover championship for America.”
Covington has done a great job promoting RAF and Real American Beer since joining the promotion. Now that he is the current champion and actively competing, there are several matchups that could be booked this year.
Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad Involved in Heated Exchange
Colby Covington’s night was not over, as he was later involved in a heated exchange with Belal Muhammad.
During the post-event press conference, Muhammad said his match with Ben Askren was the real main event of RAF 11. Covington, who was sitting at the opposite end of the stage, obviously did not agree.
Both competitors took jabs at each other and referenced their victories over Arman Tsarukyan and Askren, respectively.
“[Covington] went against a lightweight. Tell him to go against a welterweight, somebody that’s his size. You went against a jiu-jitsu guy, a kickboxer, and a lightweight. Come up against a real man, coward,” Muhammad said.
“Bro, you barely beat a dead guy. Hey, [Muhammad] can only score on a dead guy. That’s it. You’re a bum, bro. Stop talking. You’re a nobody. ” Covington fired back.
Covington vs. Muhammad Made Official for RAF 12
Following the heated exchange, RAF CEO Chad Bronstein announced Covington vs. Muhammad for RAF 12. ‘Chaos’ will make his first title defense at the promotion’s milestone event.
After making the announcement, Covington dismissed Muhammad as a worthy challenger and called it an easy win.
“Yeah, it’ll be the easiest match I get in RAF. I can’t believe they’re going to give me a free win like that. Super exciting for me. Easy money,” Covington said.
Muhammad took exception and eventually tried attacking Covington, before the two were separated and removed from the press conference.
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