Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington both won at RAF 7, then immediately started building a match people would absolutely watch. The wrestling was solid. The post-fight back-and-forth was even better. Now the whole thing sits in UFC’s hands because both men are under contract.
Covington beat Dillon Danis by technical fall after a rough start where Danis scored early points. Tsarukyan beat Georgio Poullas in their rematch and looked far more composed than he did in their first meeting. With both wins in the books, Covington pushed hard for a matchup with Tsarukyan and made it clear he wants it next.
Colby Covington has never needed much help starting chaos, and this one got loud fast once microphones were in front of both men.
At the post-fight press conference, Covington said,
“Let’s do it. I’d love to dunk him, give him a wedgie and stuff him in a locker. I love it. It’s a great angle. I think it’s a great storyline. We did used to train together at one point at American Top Team. So I think it’s a great matchup. The only one that has to sign off on it is UFC. As long as UFC signs off, we can make that happen but right now they’re blocking it. So I’m going to have a talk with Hunter Campbell in Miami when the UFC comes to Miami in a couple weeks and we’re going to get this situated. Because this is the fight the fans want. This is the match that RAF deserves and it’s the biggest match that we can do.”
Colby Covington: “I’d love to dunk [Arman Tsarukyan] and give him a wedgie.”
Arman Tsarukyan: “Dillon Danis almost beat your ass.”
Covington: “You’re wrestling influencers. He’s a world champ and scared Khabib.”
Tsarukyan: “Who?”
Covington: “You just grappled a flyweight.” pic.twitter.com/Kni6PMjVHQ
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 29, 2026
Tsarukyan denies the ATT claim and fires right back
Tsarukyan said he wants Covington because of the challenge and the profile, but he rejected the idea that Covington ever got the better of him in training.
Tsarukyan said,
“I want Colby Covington because he has a couple victories and he’s a superstar in UFC and he’s a legit wrestler and I want to beat him. I know my skills, I can beat him. He told everybody that he wrestled me in the gym and maybe he misunderstood it wasn’t me so someone else.”
Then came the line that blew up the whole exchange.
Tsarukyan said,
“I’ve never trained with you. I’ve seen you in the gym but we never wrestled. There’s thousands of Dagestani and Chechen guys who look similar. Nobody beat me in ATT and especially you in the wrestling. You have just good cardio, that’s all. Dillon Danis almost beat your ass! He gave you points. He has zero freestyle wrestling. How you gave him points? I can wrestle anybody, anywhere. Let’s make it happen.”
Covington answered by insisting the training rounds happened and then made a wider claim involving Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Covington said,
“No, it was definitely you, bro. You know it was you. We wrestled, I swear on my life. We wrestled. I got respect for you. I guess that’s what we’re going to find out soon in the RAF mat. [Dillon Danis] scared Khabib. He could beat Khabib. Conor knew that f*cking Dillon Danis could beat Khabib.”
From a fan perspective, this is an easy sell. Covington brings noise and name value. Tsarukyan brings elite pace and pressure. The only issue now is permission.
Covington put it plainly, saying,
“All we need is the UFC’s approval. Come on Hunter Campbell, this is the greatest promotion God’s green earth right now is RAF so let’s make it happen. Hopefully Hunter Campbell and Dana White will sign off on it and this will be the highest level wrestling match you’ve ever seen. Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington.”
If that approval comes through, this thing moves quickly from press-room argument to must-watch matchup.
For fans tracking Tsarukyan’s rise and possible UFC title implications, his recent lightweight run has already made him one of the division’s most important names.
Tsarukyan is also reportedly booked to face Dillon Danis in a Hype FC grappling match in Brazil, which adds even more heat to his post-RAF 7 exchange with Covington.
