Belal Muhammad Says Colby Covington Has a Restraining Order Ahead of RAF 13

Belal Muhammad and Colby Covington have circled each other for years without ever sharing an octagon. That finally changes Friday, when the two welterweights meet in the RAF 13 grappling main event at Watco Center in Coral Gables — and Muhammad claims the whole thing comes with a police escort.

According to the former UFC 170-pound champ, Covington has filed a restraining order to head off any physicality outside the wrestling match. Muhammad, currently ranked #7 in a division he once ruled and sporting a 24-6 record, says authorities will be on hand in case things spill over. In his telling, the paperwork is proof Covington is scared of him.

The bad blood boiled over this past July. Muhammad picked up his first RAF win by beating fellow ex-UFC fighter Ben Askren, then ran into Covington at a press conference, where the two got into a confrontation. Muhammad framed the contrast bluntly: Askren was an honor to work with, Covington a clown who hides behind security.

No Punches, Still a Fight

Muhammad admits he'd rather have settled this in the cage, where he wouldn't be boxed in by grappling-only rules. But he insists Covington won't walk away unscathed. He described wrestling in the trenches as its own kind of fight — and predicted a coward would wither under pressure.

He also promised to keep it professional, calling himself a pro who'll do the job the right way rather than swing first. That said, the restraining-order angle gives him a ready-made storyline: beat Covington in his own event, under his own rules, with law enforcement watching the whole time.

For context, Muhammad is coming off a decision loss to Gabriel Bonfim, so a clean win on the mats would be a useful reset even outside the UFC. Whatever happens Friday, the years-long grudge finally gets a resolution of sorts — just not the one either man originally wanted.