Colby Covington returned to competitive wrestling at RAF 5 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, overwhelming Luke Rockhold with a 12-0 technical fall in the second period. The match underscored Covington’s wrestling experience against a talented but less experienced freestyle opponent.
Covington, a former interim UFC welterweight champion, has not competed in MMA since December 2024, when he lost to Joaquin Buckley. Though he has not retired, he is shifting focus back to wrestling. Covington was a JUCO national champion at Iowa Central, later transferring to the University of Iowa and Oregon State, where he became a two-time Pac-10 champion and one-time NCAA Division I All-American.
Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion, left MMA in 2022 and explored other combat sports, including Karate Combat, BKFC, and Misfits Boxing. Despite his high-level striking and athleticism, Rockhold has not seriously competed in wrestling since high school.
First Period Action
From the opening whistle, Covington imposed his wrestling dominance. Both fighters tied up, and Covington quickly ducked under for a leg attack, securing a takedown. Rockhold attempted a front headlock turn, but Covington held control and worked for back exposure. Rockhold resisted, and the action moved out of bounds.
On the restart, Rockhold tried a snapdown, but Covington continued to target the legs. Rockhold defended with flexibility, preventing points from the move. After a brief stalemate, they returned to standing positions.
Covington launched another low single, drove through, and executed a turn to reach the back, finishing the first period with a 6-0 lead.
Second Period and Technical Fall
The second period highlighted the difference in wrestling experience. Rockhold attempted a level change, but Covington snapped him down, moved around to the back, and scored additional points to reach 8-0.
Reset to the feet, Covington executed a front headlock turn and scored back exposure points to close the match. The referee awarded the 12-0 technical fall in Covington’s favor, ending the contest decisively.
Official Result: Colby Covington def. Luke Rockhold via technical fall (12-0)
After the match, Covington gave a shoutout to first responders and the military. He praised Rockhold’s effort, saying he was strong and that it was an honor to wrestle him.
While Chael Sonnen suggested a match with Arman Tsarukyan, Covington instead called out Georges St-Pierre for a potential RAF matchup.
