Several UFC stars have recently expanded their competitive careers beyond the Octagon, with Arman Tsarukyan, Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, and Merab Dvalishvili all making appearances in Real American Freestyle (RAF) and Hype Fighting events.
While continuing their MMA careers, these fighters have also been testing themselves on the wrestling mat. However, one notable name has been missing from the growing crossover scene: Islam Makhachev.
The reigning welterweight champion has yet to show much interest in competing outside the UFC, despite recently receiving a callout from Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. However, a new challenge from Covington could finally tempt the Dagestani into trying something different.
‘Chaos’ has been particularly active in combat sports outside the Octagon, competing in several wrestling and submission-only contests. He recently defeated Tsarukyan to capture RAF’s crossover cruiserweight championship and is now scheduled to face Chimaev at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14.
But Covington has another potential opponent in mind, and this time, he wants to take the competition away from the wrestling mat. The former UFC title challenger recently proposed a padel showdown against Makhachev.
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For context, the Dagestani recently invested more than $600,000 in establishing a premium padel tennis club and center in Makhachkala. Covington took notice of the investment during an appearance on Submission Radio and proposed a charity doubles match between the two fighters.
The idea involves each competitor selecting a professional padel player as their teammate, with $100,000 going to charity. Covington has now challenged Makhachev to put his skills on the court to the test.
Interestingly, the UFC champion appears more than willing to entertain the idea. During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA in Tashkent, Makhachev accepted Covington’s proposal and even offered to increase the stakes by another $100,000. He also suggested that they could settle their differences through a wrestling match instead.
He said, “No problem. We can wrestle, we can play (padel), and I would add $100k more. I think he’s got no chance. Neither in wrestling nor in padel. But I am not against this idea.”
🤝🏸Islam Makhachev welcomes Colby Covington’s wrestling or padel challenge, offers another $100,000 for charity and says Colby has no chance in either.
“No problem. We can wrestle, we can play padel. And I would add $100k more. I think he’s got no chance. Neither in wrestling nor in padel. But I am not against this idea.”
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 6, 2026
Makhachev’s response comes just days after his manager, Rizvan Magomedov, identified Covington as one of several potential wrestling opponents for the champion. Magomedov also mentioned Khamzat Chimaev and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as possible options.
With both fighters seemingly open to the idea, a showdown outside the Octagon could be an interesting addition to the growing crossover combat sports scene. Whether they eventually meet on the wrestling mat or settle things with a padel racket remains to be seen. However, Makhachev has made it clear that he is willing to put another $100,000 on the line.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
