Covington open to Chimaev wrestling bout, prefers Usman trilogy
Former UFC fighter Colby Covington said he is open to a wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev, but insisted it must take place at 185 pounds and that he will not move up to 200 pounds. Covington told Submission Radio his cardio and pace would break Chimaev, alleging "quitter tendencies". Chimaev hinted at a bout in Abu Dhabi. After beating Belal Muhammad at RAF 13, Covington said a trilogy with Kamaru Usman, who won at UFC 245 in 2019 and UFC 268 in 2021, is his preference.
Source
Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- Covington said he would 'break' Chimaev and accused him of 'quitter tendencies' — Direct quote attributed in source to an interview with Submission Radio; opinion, not fact.
- Covington wants any Chimaev wrestling match at 185 pounds and does not want to move to 200 pounds — Stated in source as Covington's position; no promoter confirmation given.
- Chimaev recently hinted the pair could wrestle in Abu Dhabi — Source says Chimaev 'appeared to reveal' this; vague sourcing, no direct quote provided.
- Usman beat Covington at UFC 245 (2019) by stoppage and at UFC 268 (2021) by unanimous decision — Specific results appear in source; historically checkable record detail.
- Covington beat Belal Muhammad at RAF 13 and prefers a wrestling trilogy with Usman — Stated in source with a supporting quote from Covington; no independent attribution.
Analysts’ view opinion
This is not a signed bout yet — it is a war of words that is building interest. Covington's argument is at least coherent: he has built his wrestling career on high pressure and a relentless pace, so cardio is the logical card for him to play under freestyle rules. But the 185-pound condition is the real story, a clear tactical move to neutralise Chimaev's size and strength edge.
- The freestyle wrestling format plays to Covington's strengths, since pressure, pace and endurance are the core of his style.
- His refusal to move up to 200 pounds is more than talk — it signals he sees the weight gap as potentially decisive.
- The claim that Chimaev has 'quitter tendencies' is Covington's opinion, not an established fact in this story.
- His RAF 13 win over Belal Muhammad gave him immediate credibility on the wrestling stage, which explains the long list of names he is calling out.
- Preferring a trilogy with Usman is emotionally logical: having lost twice, at UFC 245 and UFC 268, wrestling offers him a chance to revisit the rivalry under different rules.
What to watch — Watch whether RAF formally locks in the Abu Dhabi matchup and, above all, whether both camps agree on a weight class.
No date, venue or weight class has been finalised, and the story does not record any Chimaev response to Covington's remarks.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 4 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Colby Covington, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, has moved into Real American Freestyle (RAF), a freestyle wrestling promotion, after his MMA career. Khamzat Chimaev, a former UFC middleweight champion, recently hinted the two could meet in a wrestling contest in Abu Dhabi. Covington says he is open to it but only at 185 pounds, and claims his cardio and pace would "break" Chimaev, whom he accuses of "quitter tendencies". Covington, however, says his first preference is a wrestling trilogy against Kamaru Usman, who beat him twice in the UFC.
Key facts
- Covington told Submission Radio: "I think I would break Khamzat. He doesn't have the cardio to keep up with me. He has those quitter tendencies."
- Covington insists any wrestling bout with Chimaev must be at 185 pounds and refuses to move up to the 200-pound range.
- Chimaev is described as the former UFC middleweight champion; Chimaev recently hinted the bout could take place in Abu Dhabi.
- Covington beat Belal Muhammad at RAF 13, after which he named a Usman trilogy as "top of the list".
- Usman stopped Covington at UFC 245 in 2019 and beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 268 in 2021.
- Covington calls Usman "the Marty Fake Newsman" and continues to dispute both UFC results.
- Other RAF opponents Covington has named include Gilbert Burns, Michael Chandler, Sean Brady and Arman Tsarukyan.
- A Chimaev matchup still depends on the promotion finalising the details, per the source.
Timeline
- 2019Kamaru Usman stops Colby Covington at UFC 245.
- 2021Usman beats Covington again, by unanimous decision, at UFC 268.
- Recent (date not stated in the source)Covington defeats Belal Muhammad at RAF 13 and names a Usman wrestling trilogy as his preference.
- Recent (date not stated in the source)Chimaev hints he could wrestle Covington in Abu Dhabi; Covington responds via Submission Radio, demanding 185 pounds.
Who has a stake
- Colby Covington — Former UFC welterweight title challenger seeking marquee RAF wrestling bouts; wants a Usman trilogy but open to Chimaev at 185 pounds.
- Khamzat Chimaev — Former UFC middleweight champion who hinted at an Abu Dhabi wrestling bout; faces public accusations of "quitter tendencies".
- Kamaru Usman — Beat Covington twice in the UFC; a wrestling trilogy would put his rivalry and record under different rules.
- Real American Freestyle (RAF) — The freestyle wrestling promotion that must finalise weight, venue and matchmaking details for any Covington bout.
- Belal Muhammad — Lost to Covington at RAF 13, the result that set up Covington's callouts.
Why it matters
The story shows how retired or transitioning MMA fighters are creating a second commercial career in freestyle wrestling promotions, where rivalries and trash talk drive matchmaking as much as rankings do. Disputes over weight class (185 vs 200 pounds) and venue (Abu Dhabi) highlight how negotiation, not sporting merit, often decides whether marquee combat-sport bouts happen.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Real American Freestyle (RAF) is the freestyle wrestling promotion where Covington is competing; his latest win came at RAF 13 over Belal Muhammad.
- Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington twice: a stoppage at UFC 245 (2019) and a unanimous decision at UFC 268 (2021).
- Khamzat Chimaev is a former UFC middleweight champion; he hinted at an Abu Dhabi wrestling bout with Covington.
- Covington's demanded weight for the Chimaev wrestling bout is 185 pounds; he refuses 200 pounds.
- Covington's other named potential RAF opponents: Gilbert Burns, Michael Chandler, Sean Brady, Arman Tsarukyan.
- Covington's remarks were made to Submission Radio.
Mains framing
Combat sports increasingly blur the line between sporting contest and entertainment property, and the proposed Covington-Chimaev freestyle wrestling bout illustrates the mechanics. Covington, a former UFC welterweight title challenger now wrestling in Real American Freestyle, has built a high-pressure, cardio-led style and argues it would "break" former UFC middleweight champion Chimaev, whom he accuses of "quitter tendencies" - rhetoric that itself generates the demand for the match. Yet the bout's viability rests on negotiation: Covington insists on 185 pounds and rules out 200 pounds, Chimaev has floated Abu Dhabi as a venue, and the source notes the matchup remains dependent on the promotion finalising details. Covington's stated preference for a trilogy with Kamaru Usman, who beat him at UFC 245 (2019) and UFC 268 (2021) and whose results he disputes, shows how unresolved rivalries are monetised by shifting them to a new rule-set. The way forward, on the evidence in the source, lies with the promotion agreeing weight, venue and opponent from a list that also includes Gilbert Burns, Michael Chandler, Sean Brady and Arman Tsarukyan; broader policy or regulatory implications are not stated in the source.
Key terms
- Real American Freestyle (RAF)
- Freestyle wrestling promotion where Covington now competes; its event RAF 13 saw him beat Belal Muhammad.
- Freestyle wrestling rules
- The rule-set under which the proposed Covington-Chimaev contest would be held, as distinct from MMA.
- UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- The MMA promotion where Covington challenged for the welterweight title and Chimaev held the middleweight title.
- 185 pounds / 200 pounds
- The disputed weight limits: Covington demands 185 pounds and refuses to move up to the 200-pound range.
- Trilogy
- A third meeting between two fighters; Covington wants one with Usman after losing their first two UFC bouts.
- Submission Radio
- The media outlet to which Covington made his comments about Chimaev's cardio and "quitter tendencies".
Practice questions
- Discuss how the migration of MMA fighters into freestyle wrestling promotions such as RAF reflects the growing entertainment economy around combat sports.
- Examine the role of weight-class negotiation and venue selection in determining whether high-profile combat sports bouts materialise, using the proposed Covington-Chimaev match as an example.
- "Rivalry and rhetoric now drive matchmaking as much as rankings do." Critically evaluate with reference to the Covington-Usman trilogy talk.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.