RAF 11 live blog: Arman Tsarukyan meets Colby Covington as Ben Askren returns

RAF 11 brought together several familiar UFC names for a wrestling-focused card in Milwaukee, with Arman Tsarukyan facing Colby Covington in the final match of the evening. Bloody Elbow’s live coverage described Tsarukyan as a popular UFC lightweight contender and called Covington a former interim welterweight champion. The event also placed extraordinary attention on Ben Askren, who returned to the mat against Belal Muhammad after a double lung transplant last summer. Frankie Edgar and Clay Guida were also listed among the crossover attractions on a card presented as a gathering of world-class talent.

Tsarukyan entered the Covington match after weighing 180.8 pounds, according to the live report. Bloody Elbow noted that the number marked a significant contrast with the smaller wrestlers Tsarukyan had faced in recent weeks, including Urijah Faber. Covington was presented as his toughest RAF test yet. The coverage’s late-match updates said the score was 5-2 heading into the third period, with Tsarukyan scoring big before Covington answered in the closing seconds. Another update highlighted Covington’s defensive work and said the American was winning, while the final live-blog entry declared that a big defensive third round had produced a new champion. The supplied updates do not explicitly identify the winner by name in that final declaration.

Askren completes emotional return against Muhammad

Askren’s appearance was the central human story of RAF 11. The source said he had undergone a double lung transplant that saved his life just over a year earlier, and it described the match with Muhammad as his first time wearing a singlet since the procedure. Askren had weighed as little as 147 pounds following a battle with necrotizing pneumonia last year, according to the report, before getting back to his fighting shape. The prospect of his return divided the wrestling community and the wider fight world, with concern expressed for the Olympian’s health. Muhammad, described in the live report as an active welterweight contender who had been UFC champion within the previous 15 months, stood across from him on July 18.

The match itself produced a tense sequence of scoring updates. Muhammad was assessed a shot-clock point, leaving Askren ahead 1-0 after the opening two minutes. Askren then led 3-0 following an out-of-bounds sequence and a whizzer, before Muhammad began to close the gap with two points. After Askren shot, Muhammad secured a go-behind to make it a one-point match at 4-3. A late challenge break preceded two points for Muhammad and the match victory. Yet the live coverage framed the moment more broadly than the result. It said Askren walked off the mat with his family in a stunning turn of events after what he had endured. As he removed his shoes, Askren apologized and said, “I can barely breathe.” The report added that an emotional Muhammad paid tribute to Askren and joined Chael Sonnen in singing “Happy Birthday” to him.

Covington-Tsarukyan closes card featuring Edgar and Guida

The Tsarukyan-Covington contest was announced by the live blog as the final match of the night. Its updates captured a tactical bout in which Covington’s defense became a defining theme. One entry said Covington baited Tsarukyan into pushing the shoe through and scored a significant moment, while the shot clock gave Covington the first point of the match. Later coverage recorded Tsarukyan’s surge to a 5-2 edge heading to the third, followed by Covington’s late response. The card also included Frankie Edgar versus Clay Guida, identified as the first of three crossover matches. Bloody Elbow called Edgar and Guida UFC legends and reported that the opening match ended 14-9, describing it as an absolute barn burner. The supplied material also said Edgar was exhausted after the battle but earned the victory. The show was listed as viewable on Fox Nation.

• Ben Askren lost to Belal Muhammad after a late challenge sequence, then left the mat with his family as Muhammad paid tribute to him.
• Frankie Edgar defeated Clay Guida in a 14-9 opening crossover match, according to the live coverage.

RAF 11’s reported action combined competitive wrestling with an especially emotional return for Askren. Tsarukyan and Covington closed the event amid defensive exchanges and changing momentum, while Edgar and Guida supplied an early high-scoring contest. But the night’s most resonant scene came after Muhammad’s win, when Askren was able to leave the mat with his family following a comeback the source portrayed as remarkable in light of his medical journey.