Khamzat Chimaev has a theory about Colby Covington’s run in Real American Freestyle, and it isn’t flattering. Covington is “just trying to make his last money” with RAF, Chimaev said, according to a Friday story from MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun.
That’s the whole quote we have, and it’s plenty. It reads like a guy who thinks the wrestling belt is a retirement fund.
Chimaev (15-1) is the No. 3 middleweight in the Knockout Daily rankings and a former UFC middleweight champion. His last MMA fight was May 9, 2026. He also signed with RAF in April, in the same cruiserweight division Covington currently rules, and he’s been busy. He pinned Dillon Danis in 44 seconds at RAF 10 on June 13, the fastest pin in promotion history. He pinned Tyron Woodley in the first round at RAF Moscow on Sept. 5, then beat Gilbert Burns by technical fall at RAF 13. He was scheduled to face Robbie Lawler at RAF 14 on Oct. 23.
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Covington (17-5 in MMA) hasn’t fought in a cage since Dec. 14, 2024. The former interim UFC welterweight champion, which is a title I’d trade for a decent steak, has gone a different route. He beat Luke Rockhold in his RAF debut on Jan. 10, then took out Danis, Chris Weidman and Arman Tsarukyan, the last one for the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship. He defended it against Belal Muhammad by second-round technical fall on Sept. 19. He’s also a partner and investor in Real American Beer, RAF’s sister company, so the money angle Chimaev is poking at has some paperwork behind it.
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The timing stings. On Nov. 3 at Hype Italy, Raul Rosas Jr. submitted Covington with a rear-naked choke in a submission-only grappling match. Wikipedia lists it at 43 seconds, while clips circulating on X put it at 40. A clip shared by Spinnin Backfist showed Conor McGregor laughing after the tap. Not a great week to be Colby.
What’s next
Here’s the obvious part. Chimaev and Covington are signed to the same RAF division, and Covington owns the belt. Nobody has booked that match, and no source suggests one is in the works. But when a 15-1 wrestler with a record pin is publicly calling the champ a cash grab, the matchmakers don’t need much more of a pitch than that.
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