This is the live blog for Colby Covington vs. Luke Rockhold, the main event for RAF 5 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
A former interim UFC welterweight champion, Covington has not fought in over a year, last competing in December of 2024, where he lost to Joaquin Buckley. Covington has not retired from MMA, but now he’s returning to his wrestling roots. Covington won a JUCO national championship aat Iowa Central before transferring to the University of Iowa, and then Oregon State, where he was a two-time Pac-10 champion and one-time NCAA Div. 1 All-American.
A former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold left MMA in 2022, and has spent the past few years trying his hand at all manner of other combat sports. Rockhold has competed for Karate Combat, BKFC, and Misfits Boxing over the past few years, and now he’ll give freestyle wrestling a shot, despite not seriously competing in the sport past high school.
Check out the Covington vs. Rockhold live blog below.
Rockhold is so much bigger than Covington, lol. He’s a worse wrestler, so he needs it.
They tie up immediately and Covington ducks under and drives on a leg, quickly getting a takedown! Rockhold has a front headlock for a turn and get it but Covington stays with him and he drives to back exposure, looking for a pin! Rockhold is able to stave it off and they get out of bounds.
Rest and another tie-up. Rockhold tries a snapdown but Covington gets down and gets to the legs. Rockhold showing some good flexibility to defend this takedown, and Covington can’t quite get a turn to score the points. Stalemate and a return to the feet.
Covington shoots on the low single again and gets it, and this time he drives and turns, getting to the back. Covington steps off Rockhold with a few seconds left. 6-0 Covington to end the first period.
Thus far, this looks exactly as you’d think, with a college All-American taking on a guy who wrestled in high school. Rockhold comes out and goes for his own level change but Covington snaps down and then swings around to take the back and get to 8 points. Rockhold to his feet, Covington handing over, and he’s setting up a final throw. And there it goes, front headlock turn, back exposure to finish things off for Covington.
Colby Covington def. Luke Rockhold via tech fall (12-0)
Covington leads off shouting all the real heroes, first responders and military. Covington then puts Rockhold over, saying he was strong, and he’s honored to have wrestled him.
Chael Sonnen tries to set up a match with Arman Tsarukyan, but Covington isn’t having it. He calls out Georges St-Pierre for a RAF match, which honestly, isn’t a bad idea.
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