Colby Covington Dominates Belal Muhammad at RAF 13
Colby Covington didn’t just beat Belal Muhammad at RAF 13. He shut him out, shut him down, and walked off the Watsco Center mat in Miami with a 10-0 technical fall that felt as cold as the buildup had been hot.
All that bad blood. None of the back-and-forth.
For years, Covington and Muhammad circled each other in the UFC without ever touching gloves. Muhammad climbed the mountain there, a former UFC welterweight champion. Covington, the perennial agitator, took aim at him again this summer at a raucous RAF press conference, and Muhammad fired right back. Friday night was supposed to be the score-settler.
Only one man showed up with answers.
Covington crushes the grudge
From the opening whistle, Covington — the reigning RAF cruiserweight crossover champion and a 5-0 force in the promotion — fought like a man determined to strip the rivalry of any mystery. Muhammad defended in spots, dug in, tried to slow the tide. That was about as far as his success went.
The first big crack came early: Covington snapped Muhammad into a front headlock, adjusted his grip, and turned it into a slick four-point throw. Statement made. The Florida crowd, fully behind their adopted hometown star, roared as Muhammad skidded toward a hole he would never climb out of.
Covington never really eased off. He chained attacks, hit gut wrenches, circled behind for go-behinds, and kept the pace high. Muhammad, now 1-2 in RAF, could only cling to defensive positions and hope the storm would pass.
It didn’t. It just ended.
Up 9-0, Covington watched the 30-second shot clock tick away on Muhammad. When it expired, the extra point kicked in, sealing the 10-0 technical fall and ending the grudge match in the most ruthless, anticlimactic fashion possible. No scramble. No late drama. Just a shutout and a shrug.
Chimaev rolls, rematch history, and a looming showdown
If Covington’s performance was clinical, Khamzat Chimaev’s was violent efficiency.
On the same main card, Chimaev tore through Gilbert Burns for a 15-4 tech fall in their catchweight crossover bout, a wrestling sequel more than four years after Chimaev’s decision win over Burns under MMA rules at UFC 273. Different sport, same winner, and again by a wide margin.
Chimaev, now 3-0 in RAF, has barely been tested since stepping onto the mat in this world. He pinned Dillon Danis. He pinned Tyron Woodley. Burns, making his RAF debut, at least made it into the second period. It didn’t help much.
The former UFC middleweight champion drove through positions, piled up points, and ran away with it on the scoreboard. No pin this time, but the technical fall in the second period underlined the same message: in this format, Chimaev is a problem few can solve.
Speaking to RAF commentator Chael Sonnen after the win, Chimaev didn’t bother with subtlety. He wants Covington. He wants the cruiserweight crossover belt.
“He has the belt and I need to beat the best,” Chimaev said, laying down the challenge as clearly as he wrestles.
Covington’s dominant shutout. Chimaev’s runaway tech fall. One owns the title. The other is tearing through everyone in front of him. RAF 13 didn’t just settle old scores; it built the next one.
Blaydes, Pyfer and Nolf add to the chaos
The rest of the 12-bout card had its own sharp edges.
Kennedy Blaydes kept her women’s middleweight title with authority, blanking Diana Avsaragova with a technical fall that never looked in doubt. Blaydes controlled the tempo, the ties, and the scoreboard, turning a title defense into a showcase.
Joe Pyfer’s RAF debut was even more emphatic. Matched with former UFC champion Luke Rockhold in a light heavyweight crossover bout, Pyfer mauled his way to a 14-3 tech fall. Rockhold had moments, but Pyfer imposed his will, bullied positions, and walked out looking like a man who just announced himself as a serious player in this space.
Jason Nolf had no such comfort. The middleweight champion had to dig deep to fend off Julian Ramirez in a 7-6 thriller. Ramirez pushed him to the edge, forced scrambles, and kept the champion under pressure. Nolf held firm and kept his belt, but this one will stick in the memory as a near miss rather than a routine defense.
Around them, the points kept coming. Arsen Harutyunyan dethroned Austin DeSanto for the bantamweight championship with a 6-3 decision. Timur Bizhoev edged Michael Caliendo 5-4 at welterweight. Chance Marsteller outlasted Georgios Kougioumtsidis 8-6 at cruiserweight, while Bryce Meredith won a wild 17-13 shootout over Movlid Khaybulaev at welterweight.
Cayden Henschel claimed the featherweight crossover championship with a composed 7-2 win over Johnni DiJulius. Jacori Teemer beat Haji Aliyev 9-6 at lightweight. Mugzy closed the show in style with a pinfall win over Real Tarzann in their catchweight crossover clash.
But the night will be remembered for two men.
Covington, who turned a years-long feud into a 10-0 non-event. Chimaev, who smashed through Burns again and then called his shot.
One holds the belt. The other is coming for it. How long can RAF keep them apart?
