UFC legends Khamzat Chimaev vs Colby Covington set for RAF title clash in Abu Dhabi

Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington will finally settle their long-running rivalry on the RAF mats. Covington will defend his RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship against Chimaev at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14. The main event will take place at Etihad Arena and will stream live on FOX Nation.Covington captured the RAF cruiserweight crossover title with a points victory over Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. He then successfully defended the belt against Belal Muhammad at RAF 13 earlier this month. Chimaev has also remained unbeaten in RAF, picking up dominant wins over Dillon Danis and Tyron Woodley before defeating Gilbert Burns. The Abu Dhabi showdown will now give the two rivals a chance to settle their differences in competition.Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev put unbeaten RAF records on the lineRAF officials announced the fight on Tuesday morning. Colby Covington will make his second title defence against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of the promotion’s Abu Dhabi debut.Covington has enjoyed an impressive run since moving to RAF. The former UFC interim welterweight champion has won five straight matches in the organisation. His run includes victories over several familiar names from the MMA world.He defeated Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis and Chris Weidman before facing Tsarukyan for the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship. Covington won that contest via points in July.He returned to action at RAF 13 and defended his championship against former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. Covington secured a first-period technical fall and recorded a 10-0 victory.After beating Muhammad, Covington was asked about a potential meeting with Chimaev. “Chaos” made it clear that his rival should be careful about what he wants.Following his win over Muhammad, Covington told MMA Fighting that Chimaev needs to be careful what he wishes for.Chimaev has also made a strong start in RAF. The former UFC middleweight champion debuted for the promotion in June. He defeated Dillon Danis by pinfall in just 45 seconds.He then faced former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow. Chimaev again finished the contest quickly, winning by pinfall after 94 seconds.More recently, Chimaev defeated former UFC opponent Gilbert Burns by technical fall at RAF 13. His RAF record now stands at 3-0 according to the promotion’s latest announcement, although some reports have listed him as 2-0 based on completed bouts at the time of reporting.Chimaev is also scheduled to compete at RAF 14 in Las Vegas two weeks before the Abu Dhabi event. He is expected to face Robbie Lawler in the co-main event.The rivalry between Covington and Chimaev dates back to Chimaev’s early UFC career in 2020. The two have exchanged criticism several times over the years.Now, they will finally meet inside the RAF competition area, with Covington’s championship at stake.RAF has also announced appearances for Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the Abu Dhabi event. Opponents for several of those athletes have yet to be announced.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.