Covington leads Tsarukyan and Chimaev in RAF's first crossover pound-for-pound rankings

Colby Covington has been installed as the top-ranked fighter in RAF’s first-ever crossover pound-for-pound rankings, released by the promotion on Monday, with Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev among the names directly behind him.

Covington, the current RAF cruiserweight crossover champion, holds a 5-0 record in the promotion. His résumé includes victories over Tsarukyan, Dillon Danis, and former UFC champions Belal Muhammad, Chris Weidman, and Luke Rockhold.

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo slots in at No. 2 with a 2-1 record. Cejudo claimed the RAF lightweight crossover title at RAF 12 with a 36-second pinfall win over Merab Dvalishvili. Tsarukyan, who is 7-1 in the promotion, enters the rankings at No. 3, while Chimaev and Dvalishvili round out the top five.

The RAF crossover rankings are designed to reflect athletes who are better known outside of traditional wrestling but carry competitive backgrounds in the sport.

The full top 20 reads: Covington, Cejudo, Tsarukyan, Chimaev, Dvalishvili, Aaron Pico, Tyron Woodley, Michael Chandler, Lance Palmer, Cayden Henschel, Johnni DiJuius, Aljamain Sterling, Belal Muhammad, Georgio Poullas, Shara Magomedov, Pouya Rahmani, Joe Pyfer, Frankie Edgar, Mugsy Buljunk, and Yusuf Raisov.

The rankings arrive days before RAF 14 in Las Vegas, headlined by Tsarukyan taking on Danis for the inaugural middleweight crossover title. Chimaev faces former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in the co-main event.