RAF 11: Tsarukyan vs. Covington Tops Milwaukee Super-Card

RAF 11: Tsarukyan vs. Covington takes place tonight, Saturday, 18th July 2026, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 12-match Real American Freestyle showcase is built around major MMA crossover stars competing under freestyle wrestling rules, headlined by a grudge match for the inaugural RAF Crossover Championship.

Main Event

Arman Tsarukyan meets Colby Covington in a freestyle wrestling main event with genuine grudge-match heat. Both arrive undefeated in RAF competition, with Tsarukyan at 7–0 and Covington at 3–0, adding a real competitive edge to a rivalry already fueled by their UFC history.

Covington has formally stepped away from active UFC competition to clear the path for this match, treating it as a legacy-defining grappling showcase. Tsarukyan, in contrast, brings his prime athletic form and grinding wrestling pace, aiming to prove that the new generation can outwork one of MMA’s most notorious pressure wrestlers.

The Crossover Championship stakes turn it into more than a one-off spectacle. The winner becomes the first holder of a belt designed specifically to crown the top MMA-to-wrestling crossover star in the promotion.

Co-Main Event

The co-main event sees Ben Askren take on Belal Muhammad in what has been framed as Askren’s emotional “last dance.” The former Olympian returns to competition after a remarkable comeback from a severe health scare and a double lung transplant in 2025.

Belal Muhammad arrives as the active, battle-tested UFC contender, giving the match a clear old-guard-versus-current-elite narrative. Askren’s world-class wrestling credentials and Muhammad’s grinding pace make this a compelling stylistic clash, especially under pure freestyle rules.

Veteran Showcase

Another key attraction is the lightweight legends match between Frankie Edgar and Clay Guida. Both men are beloved UFC veterans with reputations built on cardio, scrambles, and relentless effort, making their shift to a wrestling-only platform a natural fit.

This bout functions as a celebration of an era. Fans get to see two of MMA’s most durable workhorses test each other in the one area that has always been central to their games: high-paced grappling.

Strawweight Title Fight

RAF 11 also features a women’s championship bout, with Lucia Yepez facing Felicity Taylor for the RAF women’s strawweight title. The match gives the card a meaningful women’s championship centerpiece rather than just a one-off feature.

Both Yepez and Taylor bring strong freestyle credentials, and the title stakes ensure the bout will be more than an exhibition. For RAF, it is an important step in cementing women’s divisions as a core part of their event structure.

Final Outlook

RAF 11 is structured as a hybrid of nostalgia, high-stakes rivalry, and pure wrestling pedigree. Tsarukyan vs. Covington for the inaugural Crossover Championship anchors the show, while Askren’s farewell, Edgar vs. Guida, and a women’s strawweight title fight give the card emotional depth and competitive variety.

With 12 matches, multiple UFC names, and meaningful belts on the line, RAF 11 looks set to be one of Real American Freestyle’s most ambitious and memorable cards to date.