Colby Covington is scheduled for a RAF 12 match against Belal Muhammad, but he claims the showdown is now off.
Covington and Muhammad were both featured on the RAF 11 card at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena this past Saturday. Covington defeated UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan with a 5-3 score, while Muhammad took a 6-3 win over Ben Askren in “Funky’s” retirement match.
“Chaos” and “Remember The Name” have traded barbs in the past, and when the two were booked for RAF 12, fans knew things would only get more intense between the two. That’s exactly what happened, as Muhammad threw a kick at Covington before they were separated.
In an appearance on “Submission Radio,” Covington said that as a result of the incident during the press conference, he will no longer be facing Muhammad on Aug. 22 in Cleveland (via MMAJunkie).
“My next title match, the champ does what he wants,” Covington said. “He calls the shots. So I’ve made an executive decision. I went and talked to the brass. I’m a shareholder at RAF, so I make these kind of decisions. We’re going to move away from the Belal matchup. He showed that he can’t be a professional. Nope, it’s not happening. I made the executive decision: We’re going to move away from that matchup.”
Covington then slammed Muhammad for attempting to get physical during the build for a wrestling match.
“Let me tell you the reasons why: First off, he’s on the mic at the post-fight press conference, he’s claiming to be a man of the people. ‘I care about the kids. I want to be a good example. I’m sorry I cussed.’ And then the next second, he stands up and throws a soccer kick at me and runs across the stage and tries to attack me like a freaking filthy animal? It’s just like a delinquent, like a criminal. It’s just disgusting.”
Covington expressed his belief that Tsarukyan deserves a rematch. He also mentioned Michael Chandler, Tyron Woodley, Khamzat Chimaev, and Kamaru Usman as possible opponents for his next RAF match. RAF officials haven’t confirmed Covington’s claim about the Muhammad match at this time.
What do you make of Colby Covington claiming his RAF 12 match with Belal Muhammad is off? Drop a comment below.
