Colby Covington expressed interest in welcoming Kamaru Usman to Real American Freestyle. Covington made it known that he wants to face his longtime rival on the RAF mat.
‘Chaos’ has thrived in RAF since retiring from the UFC and solely focusing on freestyle wrestling. He is unbeaten with a 5-0 record and is the reigning RAF crossover cruiserweight champion. Covington made his first successful title defense at RAF 13, earning a dominant 10-0 tech fall victory over Belal Muhammad.
Now, Covington wants to rekindle his rivalry with Usman, this time in RAF. Covington and Usman fought twice in the UFC, with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ getting his hand raised in both. They were considered the top two welterweights at the time, and their fights drew plenty of attention.
Covington and Usman had a bitter rivalry and had heated exchanges. However, both embraced after their second fight.
Given RAF’s momentum and Covington’s activity in the promotion, perhaps a match with Usman may be on the horizon.
Colby Covington Expresses Interest in Facing Kamaru Usman in RAF
Colby Covington named Kamaru Usman as an opponent he would like to face in RAF. He even revealed that RAF’s Chad Bronstein has been in active talks with Usman about potentially joining the promotion.
Covington also admitted that a matchup with Usman interests him more than one against Khamzat Chimaev.
“I would say [Usman] Marty Fake Newsman [is who I would defend my title against]. We got unfinished business, you know? I feel like I beat him both fights and [there was] a lot of controversy in those fights. So, let’s settle the trilogy on the RAF mat,” Covington told The Schmo. “We’ve been trying to get that matchup, but he’s crying. His manager, Ali, is giving a lot of hard talks to Chad Bronstein. So, hopefully he gets things right and just comes over here, and he settles this beef because he needs to stop hiding.”
He continued:
“If I was a betting man, I do see [this match] happening within the next year. We’ll see. Maybe he’s still a little injured from getting beat up by Dricus du Plessis, but whenever he gets healed up, I’ll be waiting for him with this belt and I’ll be ready to smack this belt across his face.”
Usman Reacts to Covington’s Win Over Belal Muhammad
Usman also shared his thoughts on Covington’s win over Belal Muhammad at RAF 13. The former UFC welterweight champion said he was not surprised by how dominant ‘Chaos’ was.
“It’s kind of what I expected, but Colby’s been back into wrestling a little longer. So, I kind of expected that. But, it was great. Main event, co-main event, I loved it,” Usman told The Schmo. “I don’t know [if I’ll face Covington for the RAF crossover cruiserweight title]. Maybe. Never say never.”
He added: “I don’t know [what it’s going to take], but we’ll talk about it. We’ll talk.”
Like Covington, Usman possesses a collegiate wrestling background, so he could be pose a challenge for the RAF crossover cruiserweight champion.
Colby Covington Eyes Kamaru Usman for RAF Matchup: ‘I’ll Be Waiting’