‘Chaos’ could be making moves. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Welterweight champion Colby Covington returned to his wrestling roots last night (Sat., Jan. 10, 2026), delivering a dominant performance at Real American Freestyle (RAF 05) by tech-falling former UFC Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold 10-0 inside Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida (watch highlights). Despite […]
‘Chaos’ could be making moves.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Welterweight champion Colby Covington returned to his wrestling roots last night (Sat., Jan. 10, 2026), delivering a dominant performance at Real American Freestyle (RAF 05) by tech-falling former UFC Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold 10-0 inside Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida (watch highlights).
Despite being the smaller man, Covington made quick work of Rockhold, who held clear advantages in size, strength, and past experience at Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.
During his post-fight press conference, Covington was asked if he would consider competing at Middleweight inside the Octagon.
“I felt good at this weight class, and I know I’d do good at 185,” Covington said. “I have unlimited endurance, so at Middleweight I’d have even more of an advantage. I felt stronger than him tonight, and I know he probably weighs 20 or 30 pounds more than me. You might see me in my next fight — maybe at the White House — at Middleweight.”
While the idea may seem surprising, it’s not entirely new. Covington previously floated the possibility of dropping to Lightweight a few years ago.
Adding fuel to the fire, Covington recently exchanged words with UFC standout Bo Nickal during a pre-fight press conference. The back-and-forth prompted Nickal to challenge Covington to an Octagon fight on social media — a bout that would take place at Middleweight.
Covington addressed the callout, making it clear he wasn’t interested.
“Oh, the quitter Bo Nickals? I call him Bozo Nickal,” Covington said. “He bailed on RAF against Yoel [Romero], bailed on this one, and quit in his last fight….A grappler made him quit. Bo’s a quitter, and I don’t have time for quitters, so he can get in line because there is a long list of people who want to compete against me. I want to compete against guys that are dependable.”
A move to 185 pounds could also open the door to a long-simmering grudge match with Sean Strickland. Still, while Covington’s gas tank would likely translate well, the sheer size and power of today’s Middleweight division could present serious challenges.
Covington hasn’t competed in MMA since suffering a doctor-stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa in Dec. 2024.
For complete RAF 05 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
Category: General Sports
