Colby Covington Stuns Arman Tsarukyan: Inside His Dominant Raf 11 Wrestling Masterclass

A detailed look at Colby Covington Stuns Arman Tsarukyan: Inside His Dominant Raf 11 Wrestling Masterclass, featuring key takeaways.

Heading into the Milwaukee wrestling match, community sentiment on wrestling subreddits and social channels was heavily split. Casual fans favored Tsarukyan’s youth and devastating mixed-martial arts pace. Tactical wrestling purists, however, warned against underestimating Covington’s technical background.

Former Olympian and Bellator champion Ben Askren laid out the exact formula days before the event. The Ben Askren prediction highlighted two structural variables: mat riding and pace decay. Askren argued that while Tsarukyan is exceptional in open-mat blast attacks, freestyle practitioners frequently lack answers when flattened out by a dedicated folkstyle top rider who understands weight distribution.

Askren noted that collegiate wrestlers from major programs like Oregon State spend their lives mastering granular wrist control, leg rides, and spiral breaks. Against Tsarukyan, that exact dynamic played out. Tsarukyan burned massive anaerobic energy trying to stand up, while Covington rode him with minimal caloric expenditure. By the championship rounds, Askren's forecast proved prophetic as Tsarukyan simply lacked the muscular endurance to initiate offense.