Colby Covington dominates Luke Rockhold at RAF 5. Colby Covington made a statement in his Real American Freestyle (RAF) debut on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
He absolutely overwhelmed former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the main event of RAF 5 in Sunrise, Florida.
The main event of Real American Freestyle 5 (RAF 5) took place on January 10, 2026 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, pitting wrestling-specialist Colby Covington against former UFC champion Luke Rockhold, with Covington cruising to a 12-0 technical fall over two periods.
Colby Covington needed less than two periods to end Luke Rockhold’s night in the RAF 5 main event from Florida.
Colby Covington is a former interim UFC welterweight champion, Covington has not fought in over a year, last competing in December of 2024, where he lost to Joaquin Buckley. Covngton has not retired from MMA, but now he’s returning to his wrestling roots.
Luke Rockhold, his opponent is a former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold left MMA in 2022, and has spent the past few years trying his hand at all manner of other combat sports. Rockhold has competed for BKFC, Karate Combat, and Misfits Boxing over the past few years, and now he’ll give freestyle wrestling a shot, despite not seriously competing in the sport past high school.
As soon as the match began, Covington utilised his superior wrestling instincts, working from the tie-up and quickly shooting for a takedown. He executed a deep entry and secured the first takedown with textbook positioning, immediately taking control of the match.
Once on the mat, Covington flowed into back exposure, forcing Rockhold to defend while Covington looked for additional scoring opportunities. After resetting on their feet, Covington shot again, got Rockhold down, and added another takedown before time expired, ending the first period with a 6-0 lead for Covington.
Round two started and Covington carried his momentum into the second period, immediately driving for control after the whistle. He took Rockhold down again and maintained top position. Mid-period, Covington transitioned to a back take and secured more exposure points, showcasing both control and technique.
Near the end of the second period, Covington locked in a front headlock sequence and executed a high-scoring turn racking up enough points for a technical fall victory. The referee stopped the bout at 12-0 in Covington’s favor due to the point differential.
Afterward, Covington praised Rockhold’s toughness and strength, nothing that the former UFC champion was a worthy opponent despite the lopsided result.
“It felt amazing,” Covington said after his win. “He felt very strong. He was a big guy. I have a lot of respect for that guy. He was a very worthy opponent and I’m honored to share the mat with Luke Rockhold.”
With the win secured, Covington grabbed the microphone and turned his attention to UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre who is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweight fighters in combat sports history. Covington called for St-Pierre to step onto the RAF mats for a high-profile wrestling bout, referencing St-Pierre’s long-held UFC record for takedowns.
“You know who I want next? There’s only one person above me on the takedown list in UFC welterweight history and that’s Georges St-Pierre,” Covington shouted. “GSP get out here in Real American Freestyle and let’s make it happen.
“I’ll talk to my people and they’ll come to your people and let’s make it happen. Everybody wants to see you GSP.”
RAF 5 also featured a stacked lineup of high-profile wrestling matches, from Olympic medalists to seasoned veterans, making Covington’s main-event performance a highlight of a card filled with technical and dominant displays.
Check out RAF 5 results below.
Colby Covington def. Luke Rockhold via tech fall, 12-0
Kyle Dake def. Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, 10-7
Arman Tsarukyan def. Lance Palmer via tech fall, 10-0
Jordan Oliver def. Real Woods, 3-3 via criteria (last point scored)
Stephen Buchanan def. Yoel Romero via tech fall, 10-0
Zahid Valencia def. Nate Jackson, 4-0
Austin DeSanto def. Nathan Tomasello via tech fall, 11-1
Bo Bassett def. Cayden Henschel via tech fall, 14-4
Mostafa Elders def. Steve Mocco, 6-1
Pat Lugo def. Johnni DiJulius via tech fall, 10-0
Georgio Poullas def. Mugzy via tech fall, 11-1
