Colby Covington beat Chris Weidman by 5-4 points decision in the RAF 9 co-main event on May 30, 2026, at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, then walked straight into his next headache with Arman Tsarukyan.
Covington had to earn this one. Weidman was bigger, stronger early, and looked ready to bully the tie-ups after the first period. Covington kept forcing exchanges anyway, tied the match in the second, and stole the deciding point late when Weidman could not score on the shot clock.
The result keeps Covington unbeaten in RAF after wins over Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis, and it lines him up with Tsarukyan after the UFC lightweight contender ran through Mugzy earlier at RAF 9. Championship Rounds later shared that Covington vs. Tsarukyan was announced for RAF 11 on July 18 in Milwaukee.
Former UFC Interim World Champion🏆Colby COVINGTON (USA) improves to 2-0 in RAF!
Covington scored the close 5-4 win over UFC legend Chris WEIDMAN (USA) 🔥🙌 pic.twitter.com/8AJ5jmjPR5
— GlobalWrestOrder (@GlobalWresOrder) May 31, 2026
🚨 Colby Covington vs Arman Tsarukyan was just announced for RAF 11 on July 18 👀
“Gas up your daddy’s jet, bring that little jezebel Nina Drama, and I’ll see you in Milwaukee on July 18.” pic.twitter.com/WBJkFHK5uf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 31, 2026
Covington Turns A Bad Start Into A One-Point Win
Weidman made the size gap count right away. Covington pressed forward in Period 1, but Weidman used that pressure against him and scored the opening two points with a throw. He tried to turn a gut wrench from there, but Covington avoided the exposure and kept the match from getting out of hand.
The first period got messy late. Covington went on the shot clock, attacked a single leg, and ended up in a scramble where both men looked close to scoring exposure. After review, the score was settled at 4-2 for Weidman.
Period 2 changed the match. Covington kept working through collar ties and finally hit a slide-by takedown as Weidman started to slow. That tied it at 4-4, and Weidman spent the rest of the period defending more than attacking.
In Period 3, Covington forced Weidman onto the shot clock. Weidman did not score, Covington took the point, and the late shots from Weidman were not enough. Covington defended, stayed out of the big mistake, and left with the 5-4 win.
After the match, Covington turned toward Tsarukyan and said, “Arman, you’re a spoiled little brat. You’ve been talking the talk, let’s see if you can walk the walk!” Tsarukyan came out and fired back, “Colby, today, you looked so bad.” The faceoff was exactly the kind of awkward wrestling circus RAF is trying to sell.
Chris Weidman teases the trip against Colby Covington during their first RAF 09 faceoff 🤼♂️😆 pic.twitter.com/EvCWcbMLhV
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 29, 2026
Covington’s wrestling background is real, even when the promotion around him gets goofy. The 38-year-old was an NCAA Division I All-American at Oregon State, a two-time Pac-10 champion at 174 pounds, a 2007 NJCAA national champion at Iowa Central, and a 2013 no-gi grappling world champion. In MMA, he went 17-5, won the interim UFC welterweight title against Rafael dos Anjos, and fought Kamaru Usman twice and Leon Edwards once for undisputed UFC gold. His recent UFC-contract status also became part of his RAF move after he said he was still under contract but cleared for wrestling.
Weidman brought plenty of mat credibility too. The 41-year-old was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at Hofstra, a two-time junior college All-American, a New York state high school champion, and an ADCC North American Trials winner before he became UFC middleweight champion. His MMA record stands at 16-8, with the title win over Anderson Silva at UFC 162 and defenses against Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort.
Covington did not run over Weidman. He survived the early strength, pushed the pace until Weidman faded, and left RAF 9 with the next grudge match already waiting. Now RAF has Covington vs. Tsarukyan tied to the same night that also featured Merab Dvalishvili beating Frankie Edgar and calling for Henry Cejudo.
