Covington defends RAF cruiserweight title against Muhammad at Watsco Center

Colby Covington defended his RAF cruiserweight crossover title against Belal Muhammad in the main event of RAF 13 at the Watsco Center in Miami, Florida on Friday night.

Covington entered the bout with a perfect 4-0 record on the RAF wrestling mats, having yet to taste defeat in the promotion. Muhammad, a former UFC welterweight champion, represented his most significant challenge to date in the crossover format.

The co-main event brought a rematch between two former UFC champions. Khamzat Chimaev returned to face Gilbert Burns, a fight that revisited their previous meeting at UFC 273 on April 9, 2022, which Chimaev won via unanimous decision. Their second encounter on the RAF mats added a fresh dimension to an already established rivalry.

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold also featured on the main card, taking on current UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer in a matchup that bridged the promotion’s crossover appeal between established veterans and active UFC competitors.

The full RAF 13 main card also featured Kennedy Blaydes vs. Diana Avsaragova, Austin Desanto vs. Arsen Harutyunyan, Michael Caliendo vs. Timur Bizhoev, Jason Nolf vs. Julian Ramirez, Georgios Kougioumtsidis vs. Chance Marsteller, Bryce Meredith vs. Moved Khaybulaev, Johnni Dijulius vs. Cayden Henschel, and Haji Aliyev vs. Jacori Teemer.