Colby Covington vs Belal Muhammad - Turning up the Temperature

Two of MMA’s most dominant wrestle-heavy tacticians clash at RAF13 in a long-awaited match fueled by animosity, trash talk and elite freestyle skillsets.

Colby Covington always blurs the line between animosity and schtick but Belal Muhammad doesn’t mince words. The two may have held UFC gold but the temperature is high enough that this may be the most important match the two have had in a while.

Covington and Muhammad have traded shots back and forth for years but seemed to have just missed each other in the MMA cage. Despite being the same age, the two have never competed on the wrestling mat either due to Muhammad choosing to forego joining a college wrestling team in his time at Illinois.

It seemed like an inevitable clash and now, we’ve made it happen.

After defeating Arman Tsarukyan for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Title at RAF11, Covington arguably sits atop the list of all crossover athletes on the Real American Freestyle roster.

At 4-0 on the RAF mat, Covington has shown that his All-American wrestling IQ, elite chain wrestling and patented “bedroom cardio” were made for the NCAA mat, the MMA cage and the RAF arenas. As good as he is at stirring the pot, he’s proven to be even better at wrestling.

Muhammad may not have the crossover hardware that Covington does but he’s shared the mat with two of the greatest names of all time in David Carr and Ben Askren and while he’s currently 1-1 on the RAF mat he’s looking to, once again, play spoiler and put the most rewarding head on his mantle.

Already getting physical in the RAF11 post-match press conference, Muhammad has proven for multiple years now that he’s wanted to give Covington everything in his arsenal whether in the cage, the gym or on the mat and now, in RAF singlets, he gets his chance.

His conditioning and chain wrestling almost mirror Covington’s and he’s never had an opponent he’s felt so strongly about. Be prepared to see the most of both men in the long-awaited RAF 13 main event.

Covington’s keys to victory will be chain wrestling. His cardio is always a weapon and while Muhammad also has an iron lung, the scales tip in Covington’s favor and it’s much more tiring to move backwards than forwards. Look for Covington to shoot for second and even third attempts every engagement.

Covington will also look to utilize a composure advantage he routinely shares over opponents. Always the provocateur, Covington rarely finds opponents coming into matches with a clear mind. Should Muhammad fall into the same trap most do and dial up the aggression, watch for “Chaos” to capitalize on over extensions and high-energy emotion-driven offense.

For Muhammad he’ll need to make it “ugly.”

His win over “Funky” Ben Askren at RAF11 is evidence that he can come from behind and chip away against wrestlers with superior award shelves as opposed to relying on highlight-reel moments that notch crooked numbers in high volumes on the scoreboard.

He can also aim to weaponize Covington’s wrestling advantage. Muhammad wrestles every match and fights every fight like he has something to prove. Covington knows he carries more lifetime matches but Muhammad could utilize a strength advantage and self-awareness to wrestle a defense-first match that could use “Chaos’” strengths against him.

If Muhammad can consistently stop the first attack without giving up position, he could force Covington to work much harder for every point. That turns Covington's celebrated pace into a potential liability.

It’s a match fans have wanted for a long time, it’s a match both wrestlers have wanted for a long time. The wait is over and Covington and Muhammad are finally about to get their hands on one another with RAF gold on the line. The perfect main event to a stacked card live from Miami!

Catch Colby Covington vs Belal Muhammad at RAF13 LIVE Saturday, September 18 ONLY on FOX Nation!