Overview
- RAF 9 in Arlington produced the build: Arman Tsarukyan opened with a 16-5 technical fall over Mugzy, Colby Covington edged Chris Weidman 5-4, and Gable Steveson closed with a 10-0 technical fall on Saturday.
- RAF officials confirmed that Tsarukyan and Covington will headline RAF 11 on July 18 at UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, the bout will be contested at cruiserweight and stream on Fox Nation.
- Covington’s public retirement from the UFC cleared the informal barrier that had kept active UFC fighters from meeting on RAF cards and directly enabled the booking.
- Tsarukyan’s schedule creates a potential logistical snag because he is already booked to face Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13 and is listed as a UFC backup, which could affect weigh-ins or availability if the UFC calls him.
- RAF’s strategy of stacking cards with current and former UFC fighters and Olympic wrestlers is using on‑mat results and post‑match callouts to convert MMA names into recurring wrestling draws and push mainstream visibility.