Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad separated after heated RAF clash

Former UFC rivals Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad's long-simmering feud exploded into physical violence at RAF 11 in Milwaukee on Saturday. Both men had won their respective bouts earlier in the evening—Muhammad defeated Ben Askren on points in a wrestling exhibition, while Covington captured the inaugural RAF crossover championship by defeating Arman Tsarukyan. The confrontation ignited during the post-fight press conference when Muhammad criticized Covington's victory over a lightweight opponent. "Tell him to go against a welterweight, somebody his size," Muhammad said. Covington fired back with insults, calling Muhammad a "bum" who "can only score on dead guys." As the verbal exchange intensified, Covington threatened to slap Muhammad, prompting the former UFC welterweight title holder to leap from his seat and charge at his rival. Muhammad even threw a kick in Covington's direction as security rushed to separate the two fighters. The altercation forced both men to be escorted from the stage. RAF officials capitalized on the heat by announcing that Covington and Muhammad will meet in the co-main event of RAF 12 in Cleveland next month, setting up what promises to be a highly charged matchup. Covington, who recently left the UFC, predicted an easy victory, while Muhammad—currently riding a three-fight losing streak—challenged him to show up. The heated presser encounter underscored the genuine animosity between the pair and added significant intrigue to their upcoming clash.