Covington to Face Danis at RAF 7 in Tampa

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington will face grappling specialist Dillon Danis in a cruiserweight wrestling match at Real American Freestyle's RAF 7 event on March 28 in Tampa, Florida. The bout, announced this week, serves as the co-main event at the Yuengling Center, drawing attention as Covington returns to competition outside the UFC octagon following his exclusion from the promotion's upcoming White House spectacle.

Covington, who last fought in the UFC with a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024, has been vocal about his disappointment with UFC Freedom 250, a card set to celebrate America's 250th anniversary at the White House. The event features Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main bout and Alex Pereira challenging Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. Additional matchups include Sean O'Malley versus Aiemann Zahabi, Mauricio Ruffy against Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal facing Kyle Daukaus, and Diego Lopes taking on Steve Garcia.

In an interview, Covington described the lineup as falling short of expectations. "Absolutely not," he said when asked if the card met the hype for a...