Colby Covington targets a possible Kamaru Usman rematch as he prepares for RAF 11 main test vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Colby Covington’s return to action is arriving with a clear storyline attached: he is focused on getting past Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in Milwaukee on Saturday, while also looking ahead to what could come next if the win turns into a rematch opportunity. In a wide-ranging discussion tied to the fight, Covington framed Tsarukyan as the gatekeeper to a larger goal, not the destination itself.

The matchup matters for Covington’s positioning because it sits at the intersection of two rivalries he has built much of his UFC identity around. According to his comments ahead of RAF 11, he has his attention on Kamaru Usman as well, and the fight-night context adds urgency to that long-term thinking.

That urgency is heightened by the fact that Usman is also scheduled to compete on the same Saturday night on a separate UFC card, UFC OKC, as described in the same pre-event coverage. With both situations unfolding in parallel, Covington’s public emphasis on Usman reads less like nostalgia and more like a plan for what fans and matchmaking conversations could revolve around immediately after the night’s outcomes.

Covington also referenced Dricus du Plessis in the preview conversation, indicating that, for him, the relevant decisions are not only about who wins, but who is most likely to shape the conversation around the UFC’s upper tiers. In other words, even before RAF 11 begins, Covington appears to be trying to align his performance with a specific set of matchup narratives.

RAF 11 itself, meanwhile, functions as a platform for Covington to reassert his pace and fight selection in a heavyweight landscape that has continued to evolve. When a veteran with a high-profile public persona steps back in, the sport tends to treat the bout as more than a single result, because it can influence how quickly he is drawn back toward headline-level matchups.

The immediate concern remains the opponent. Arman Tsarukyan is a different kind of test than simply waiting for rematch talk, because the path Covington is describing only exists if he can navigate the risks in front of him. The pre-fight framing makes Tsarukyan the deciding variable, with Covington treating everything beyond Saturday as contingent on performance rather than certainty.

There is also a timing component to watch. With Usman competing the same night as Covington’s RAF 11 bout, any movement in the post-fight conversation could accelerate, particularly if results create new or clarified matchup possibilities. The UFC has often let parallel results influence who gets prioritized next, especially when marquee names are in the mix.

For fans, the most important takeaway is the dual-track approach Covington is indicating: take care of the tactical job against Tsarukyan in Milwaukee, then position himself so that the rematch narrative he described involving Usman becomes more than a talking point. Saturday’s fights will determine how much of that larger picture solidifies into actual matchmaking momentum. Until the results are in, the only reliable conclusion is that Covington is aiming to turn RAF 11 into a stepping stone rather than an endpoint.