TLDR
- Chris Weidman and Colby Covington will wrestle at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas, Texas
- Weidman hasn’t competed in wrestling since 2009 but was a two-time All-American at Hofstra University
- Covington is 2-0 in RAF after beating Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis, neither of whom had wrestling backgrounds
- Weidman says his wrestling skills remain sharp despite 31 surgeries and a 15-year layoff from the sport
- Both fighters retired from the UFC in 2024 after losses in their final bouts
Sources: mmafighting.com | sherdog.com | mmafighting.com
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman says he was surprised when Colby Covington called him out for a wrestling match, but he believes he will win easily. The two former UFC champions are scheduled to face each other at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas, Texas.
Weidman hasn’t competed in a freestyle wrestling match in over 15 years. But the two-time All-American at Hofstra University says his wrestling skills are still sharp despite 31 surgeries throughout his fighting career.
“I think he must think I’m dead or my body has just taken such a beating,” Weidman told MMA Fighting. “But I’m surprised, too. I’m not Dillon Danis. I’m not Luke Rockhold when it comes to wrestling. It’s going to be a big step up for him.”
Covington retired from the UFC in 2024 and has competed in two RAF wrestling matches so far. He defeated Luke Rockhold at RAF in January 2026 and then beat Dillon Danis at RAF 7 in March.
Chris Weidman is 'surprised' Colby Covington called him out for wrestling match at #RAF 09 — but he's also not 100 percent convinced Covington steps on the mat with him.
📰 https://t.co/OPpHFYUog4 pic.twitter.com/6FotoQn2xD
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 24, 2026
Covington Calls Out Weidman After Beating Danis
After defeating Danis by technical fall with a score of 14-4, Covington immediately called for a match against Weidman. “I want Chris Weidman,” Covington said after the fight. “Let’s find out who the real American is right here on the Real American Freestyle mats.”
Covington told Submission Radio that the match is “a done deal” for RAF 9. “Me and Chris Weidman’s a done deal for RAF 9, which is gonna be on Dallas, Texas, it’s gonna be on May 30,” he said.
Weidman admits he was initially concerned whether Covington would actually show up for the match. After Covington’s win over Danis, UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan called out Covington and suggested Weidman could wait.
“I’m like here he goes. Here he goes, he’s running already,” Weidman said. But as of now, Covington is still booked for the match and there’s no indication it won’t happen.
Weidman’s Wrestling Skills Still Sharp
Weidman’s last competitive wrestling match took place in 2009 when he was starting his MMA career. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2026 and retired from the UFC after a loss to Eryk Anders in December 2024.
Despite the long layoff from wrestling, Weidman says he was shocked at how quickly his skills returned. “I still kind of have it,” he said. “I go down to the wrestling room and the first day of me getting back to wrestling since my bicep tendon surgery and even before that, I hadn’t wrestled in forever.”
Weidman tested his skills against high school and college wrestlers and found he could still compete at a high level. “I was beating them up a little bit. So I still somehow have it,” he said.
Weidman had signed for a boxing match against Anderson Silva but tore his bicep muscle during training and was forced to withdraw. He suffered a decision loss in a grappling match against fellow All-American Pat Downey.
After facing Covington, Weidman says he has a list of potential opponents for future wrestling matches. He mentioned UFC middleweights Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal, as well as Luke Rockhold and a rematch with Pat Downey.
Covington was an All-American wrestler during his college days and is currently 2-0 in RAF. Neither Rockhold nor Danis came from wrestling backgrounds, making Weidman a much tougher opponent with his legitimate All-American credentials.
