Overview
- RAF confirmed that Arman Tsarukyan will meet Colby Covington for the promotion’s first RAF Crossover Championship at RAF 11, which takes place Saturday, July 18, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
- Tsarukyan enters the match 6-0 under RAF and Covington is 3-0, so the bout will crown the first champion in a matchup between two unbeaten RAF competitors.
- Reports differ on the bout’s weight designation: RAF’s event listing calls it a catchweight title while on-air reporting from Ariel Helwani identified it as a cruiserweight championship, and the discrepancy remains unresolved.
- The July 18 card leans heavily on former UFC names and crossover storytelling, featuring Ben Askren vs. Belal Muhammad and Frankie Edgar vs. Clay Guida, and the event will stream exclusively on FOX Nation.
- The title move follows Covington’s public dispute that the UFC once blocked a wrestling match with Tsarukyan and aligns with RAF’s strategy of recruiting high-profile MMA fighters to grow the promotion’s audience and legitimacy.