Overview
- Following the July 18 post‑fight press conference in Milwaukee where Belal Muhammad kicked Colby Covington, RAF initially announced the two would meet at RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland.
- Covington told media he has “made an executive decision” to pull the Muhammad booking and said he will seek other opponents instead, citing Muhammad’s conduct at the press conference.
- RAF co‑founder Chad Bronstein publicly rejected the idea the fight is permanently cancelled and said the match will occur though the timing and location could shift between Cleveland and Miami.
- RAF has a contingency plan: if Muhammad cannot compete in Cleveland the promotion will slot Brendan Allen to face Covington at RAF 12 while Muhammad’s camp and manager Ali Abdelaziz work to finalize availability.
- The dispute highlights a tension inside RAF between a star who is also a shareholder asserting influence and promoters who control official matchmaking, and it could lead to a short reschedule rather than a permanent cancellation.