RAF founder responds to Colby Covington shutting down Belal Muhammad match after press conference incident

A top Real American Freestyle executive responded to Colby Covington’s recent claim that a matchup with Belal Muhammad is off the table.

Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad nearly came to blows at the Real American Freestyle 11 post-fight press conference last weekend. After Covington and Muhammad each earned wins at RAF 11, the table was set for a future showdown after years of bad blood between the two former UFC titleholders.

But Covington seemingly shut down a potential wrestling match with Muhammad after their press conference incident during a recent interview with Submission Radio. As RAF continues to fill out its 2026 event calendar, Covington is expected to be a major piece of their plans.

After Covington raised eyebrows in admitting he’d prefer to explore a Kamaru Usman trilogy versus a Muhammad grudge match, RAF has responded to Covington’s assertions.

RAF clears the air on Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad wrestling match

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein responded to Covington’s head-scratching comments about a potential Muhammad clash.

“So one… Colby is an investor, but at the end of the day, Izzy and myself will make the decision for the matches, and he knows that,” Bronstein said of Covington’s claims.

“And two, he’s going to wrestle Belal. The question is, is it going to happen in Cleveland, or is it going to happen in Miami? But it will, we’re figuring out right now it’s set for Cleveland, but he’s definitely wrestling Belal.

“[We’ll probably know in] the next day or so. Colby will wrestle in Cleveland no matter what. If Belal doesn’t wrestle in Cleveland, and he’ll wrestle in Miami, it’s going to be Branden Allen that will step in to compete against Colby in Cleveland.”

What is your prediction for a potential Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad wrestling match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!