Colby Covington has a new target, a new platform and zero intention of toning down the trash talk while calling out Arman Tsarukyan and his friend Nina Drama.
Covington vocally pushed the UFC to put him on the White House card, citing his fierce patriotism and personal history of bringing his UFC belt to the Oval Office in the past. He believed he had a 50/50 chance and was actively training for it. But he got snubbed from the UFC Freedom 250 card.
He later expressed massive disappointment, stating that the UFC kept him on hold for the event but ultimately could not secure an opponent for him. Following the snub, he quietly retired from active MMA competition to focus entirely on his unscripted, high-paying freestyle wrestling matches under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner.
However, he did not leave on bad blood. The California native noted that he met directly with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, who gave him his blessing to make the move. On Saturday night in Dallas at RAF 9, he made his next move official in the loudest way possible.
Colby Covington Drags Nina Drama Into Arman Tsarukyan Callout at RAF 9
Covington and Tsarukyan both won at RAF 9. Tsarukyan opened the main card by defeating Mugzy with a 16-5 technical fall and improved his RAF record to 5-0. In the co-main event, Covington beat former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in a close 5-4 decision. Immediately after the bout, officials took to the mat to announce a future match between Covington and Tsarukyan.
The former Interim UFC Welterweight champion wasted no time turning the announcement into a personal attack. He said, “Gas up your daddy’s jet, bring that little jezebel Nina Drama, and I’ll see you in Milwaukee on July 18.”
🚨 Colby Covington vs Arman Tsarukyan was just announced for RAF 11 on July 18 👀
“Gas up your daddy’s jet, bring that little jezebel Nina Drama, and I’ll see you in Milwaukee on July 18.” pic.twitter.com/WBJkFHK5uf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 31, 2026
Just to recap, Tsarukyan and Nina Drama are close friends and business partners who frequently collaborate on viral social media content. Because of their playful banter and natural chemistry on camera, the rumor mill frequently speculates that they are secretly dating.
Both have repeatedly denied the rumors on podcasts and videos. Tsarukyan, who is the official backup fighter for UFC Freedom 250, is a married family man. He has clarified that Nina is strictly a best friend to him. He even noted that Nina’s actual boyfriend is the one behind the camera filming their content.
By calling her a “jezebel” sarcastically, Covington intentionally weaponized those viral internet rumors to get under Tsarukyan’s skin and build hype for their July 18 match.
Tsarukyan didn’t back down on the mic either. “I’m gonna whoop his a–,” Tsarukyan said. “The number-one MMA wrestler is me and I’m gonna show everybody who is the best MMA wrestler on this mat.” He then told Covington directly, “Please, when we’re gonna wrestle, be ready — I don’t want easy money. I want a legit wrestling match with you.”
With Covington now off the UFC roster, the RAF matchup faced no promotional hurdles. Officials confirmed the cruiserweight bout will headline RAF 11 on July 18 at the UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, streaming on FOX Nation. It will be Covington’s biggest wrestling match since leaving the UFC, while Tsarukyan expects to beat him in front of a hostile crowd.
