Burns Open To Wrestling Covington In RAF

Gilbert Burns wants to settle his long-running rivalry with Colby Covington on the wrestling mats.

The former UFC welterweight title contender told MMA Fighting this week that he would be open to competing in RAF Wrestling, the freestyle promotion that has attracted multiple current and former UFC fighters. Burns, who retired from MMA earlier this year and tapped out Horlando Monteiro in his UFC BJJ debut last June, said his wrestling remains sharp despite recent fights not showcasing it.

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Burns Targets Covington For RAF Match

Burns repeatedly called out Covington during his UFC tenure without the bout materialising. Asked about potential RAF opponents, he zeroed in on Covington. "Finally put my hands on Covington, right? That would be a good one," Burns said, per MMA Fighting. "RAF, I'll do the wrestling. Let's do it."

Covington holds a 4-0 record in RAF with wins over Luke Rockhold, Dillon Danis, Chris Weidman and Arman Tsarukyan. He meets Belal Muhammad in the main event of RAF 13 on Sept. 19.

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Burns also mentioned Khamzat Chimaev, who recently beat Danis in his RAF debut and faces Tyron Woodley on Sept. 5, as another possible opponent. The Brazilian said his post-MMA schedule has been busier than expected between running his own gym in Florida and managing fighters.

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• MMA Fighting — Gilbert Burns open to wrestling Colby Covington in RAF: ‘That would be a good one’