Covington vs. Rockhold - MMA Icons Clash on RAF’s Terms

Every now and then two people match up that has the combat sports world saying, “ooh! That’s good.”

After winning a National JuCo Title at 165 pounds in 2007, Colby Covington committed to the University of Iowa before earning All-American honors at Oregon State University before bringing the “chaos” to the UFC where he would have one of the most polarizing careers in the history of combat sports. Covington would heavily lean on his wrestling and the microphone to land himself in three of the biggest rivalries of all time, four title fights and two performance bonuses.

No matter who your favorite welterweight was during the “chaos” era, the last thing you’d want to see them do was get into a wrestling match with Covington.

Luke Rockhold was one of the most exciting middleweights in the most exciting era of the division. Where Rockhold wasn’t as sharp on the microphone he made up for it with IBJJF-level grappling and some of the most fluid and technically sound kickboxing in the division.

He had some of the most memorable finishes in the division’s history and still may have never really shown off just how good his grappling was. Had Rockhold wrestled beyond community college, what kind of names could he have held his own with?

We can’t go back in time and make that happen but we can still assume a lifetime of combat sports and submission grappling will make him a giant threat on the RAF mat.

The Breakdown

Colby Covington: Colby Covington will have possibly the greatest cardio advantage RAF has ever seen. He somehow never stops pressing forward, spamming offense and exhausting opponents who are so concerned with defending attacks that they don’t even get the opportunity to tire themselves out with failed offense.

Luke Rockhold: Rockhold has one of the most unique and potent grappling skillsets of any competitor in RAF’s young history. Rockhold also holds a giant size advantage. Standing possibly 5-6 inches taller and even spending a brief period of time at 205 pounds, it’s going to take perfect skill and understanding of leverage to take him down or control him on the ground.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Grappling Puzzle: Very few have ever seen him under a strictly-wrestling ruleset. Have his years of MMA and BJJ given him bad habits that will cost him or make him a puzzle that a wrestler will have just enough trouble with that he can capitalize?

Covington’s Machine Gun Offense: Colby Covington sits at second place all-time in takedowns landed in the UFC’s welterweight decision, behind only Georges St-Pierre. He also sits at fifth place all-time in strikes landed. Whether in the cage or on the mat, Covington rarely attacks once. He keeps shooting until the angle opens. Rockhold must win positioning early or risk getting pulled into a storm.

Push-Out Points: Rockhold’s size advantage lines up perfectly with RAF’s ruleset. No matter what Covington can neutralize, he can’t make Rockhold smaller. Similarly, Rockhold can’t become a more accomplished wrestler than Covington between now and January 10. What he’s going to have to rely on heavily is his size. Look for push out points if he can keep Covington on the edge of the mat.

Late Tech Fall Possibility: Colby Covington is one of the greatest in UFC history at inside head position, partially because of his ability to break opponents down late in fights. Rockhold’s retirement fight in the UFC saw him laboring in exhaustion multiple times. Covington is likely to spend the first periods wearing him down and putting an exclamation mark on it late.

Is Luke Rockhold going to use his size and grappling pedigree to establish himself as a puzzle that traditional wrestlers can’t nail down or will Colby “Chaos” Covington introduce himself as RAF’s newest MMA boogeyman? Find out Saturday, January 10 ONLY on Fox Nation!