Updated

Updated · MMA Fighting · Sep 3

Tyron Woodley Rejects Colby Covington Rematch, Prioritizes Khamzat Chimaev Moscow Main Event

Updated

Updated · MMA Fighting · Sep 3

Tyron Woodley Rejects Colby Covington Rematch, Prioritizes Khamzat Chimaev Moscow Main Event

Q: Will international sanctions cancel the massive wrestling showdown in Moscow before Woodley can prove his grappling dominance against Chimaev?

It might, but as of now the Woodley-Chimaev match has not been canceled and RAF Moscow remains scheduled to go ahead on Sept. 5. The real risk is legal, not sporting. ESPN reported that VTB Arena is tied to VTB Bank and BM-Bank, entities under U.S. sanctions. Sanctions experts told ESPN that an American promotion doing business with that venue could violate U.S. restrictions unless it obtained a specific Treasury license. RAF has not said whether it has such approval, only that it is working with sanctions counsel and intends to comply with the law. That uncertainty is serious enough to affect the event already. Fox Nation said it will not stream the Moscow card after questions were raised about sanctions exposure. Lawmakers and sanctions specialists also warned that the event could carry legal and reputational consequences for U.S. participants and partners, even if criminal penalties are unlikely absent clear knowing misconduct. Still, there has been no public U.S. government order canceling the show, and no official announcement from RAF that the event or Woodley’s bout with Chimaev is off. So the most accurate answer is that cancellation is a live possibility, but not a confirmed outcome. Unless regulators intervene, a venue change is made, or RAF itself withdraws, Woodley is still on track to face Chimaev in Moscow. The biggest immediate threat to that showdown is the unresolved sanctions issue surrounding the arena and any associated business transactions.

1 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Sep 3

Woodley said he has no interest in revisiting his UFC rivalry with Covington, choosing instead to focus on this week’s RAF Moscow main event against Chimaev.
The former UFC welterweight champion framed Chimaev as the bigger challenge and bigger name on RAF’s roster, saying he wants “the best of the best” rather than a backward-looking matchup.
Woodley also argued Covington avoided wrestling him in his prime and said their past training sessions showed a clear gap, even though Covington beat him in their UFC fight during Woodley’s late-career skid.
That Moscow bout follows Woodley’s RAF debut win over Joaquin Buckley and carries stakes for both wrestlers, with Woodley saying a Chimaev victory over his résumé would be “a massive win.”