Colby Covington Vows to Shove Silver Spoon at Arman Tsarukyan Ahead of RAF 11
Colby Covington delivered one of his classic verbal assaults on Arman Tsarukyan during the Real American Freestyle 11 press conference, promising to remove a silver spoon from the Armenian fighter’s mouth and put it somewhere far less pleasant. The exchange, which quickly turned into a back-and-forth over precious metals, captured the heated atmosphere surrounding their main-event clash for the inaugural RAF Crossover Championship in Milwaukee.
The two combat sports stars sit across from each other on the RAF stage with the promotion’s branding behind them and energy drinks on the table. Covington, wearing a white-and-blue trucker hat, leaned into the microphone when asked how the match would unfold. He wasted little time painting a vivid picture.
“I’m gonna tell you exactly how it’s gonna go,” Covington said. “I’m gonna take that silver spoon out of his mouth, I’m gonna twist it sideways, and I’m gonna shove it up his candy ass, and there ain’t nothing he or anybody next to him can do about it.”
The former UFC title challenger gestured with his hand while delivering the line, drawing the expected mix of laughter and reaction from those seated nearby. Covington has long leaned into his brash persona, and this moment fit the pattern he has used throughout his career to generate attention and put pressure on opponents.
Tsarukyan, seated a short distance away in a black T-shirt, did not stay quiet. The UFC lightweight contender offered a quick correction that flipped the insult on its head.
“First of all, I don’t have silver, I have gold,” Tsarukyan replied.
Covington immediately pushed back, framing the response as a cultural misunderstanding. “That’s not how the expression goes in America,” he said. “I know you don’t know how Americans express themselves. I’ll give you silver one. I’ll give you silver one present for you.”
Tsarukyan kept the exchange going without raising his voice. He smiled slightly and doubled down on the metal theme while a teammate or training partner seated beside him laughed and reached over to touch his shoulder.
“I use only gold, brother, gold,” Tsarukyan said. “And the gold, I’m gonna take it and silver give it to you. Second place only for you.”
The back-and-forth lasted less than a minute but encapsulated the personal edge that has developed between the two men. Covington has previously claimed he dominated Tsarukyan in training sessions years ago at American Top Team, comments that Tsarukyan has disputed. Their paths crossed again inside the RAF promotion, where both have competed in freestyle wrestling matches, building toward this crossover title fight.
The comments matter because they add fuel to a matchup already carrying crossover interest. Covington, now competing outside the UFC after a long run as one of the promotion’s most polarizing figures, brings his proven ability to sell fights with his mouth. Tsarukyan, still active in the UFC lightweight division and undefeated in RAF competition, has used the platform to expand his name recognition beyond mixed martial arts.
In a sport where promotional talk often determines ticket sales and streaming numbers, moments like this keep the narrative alive. Covington’s silver-spoon threat and Tsarukyan’s gold-and-silver reply give fans a clear emotional stake heading into the bout. One fighter is casting the other as soft and privileged. The other is dismissing the insult while promising to leave his opponent with the consolation prize.
The matchup itself carries the weight of first-time stakes. The winner will be crowned the inaugural RAF Crossover Champion, a title designed to bridge the worlds of MMA and freestyle wrestling. Both men enter with reputations on the line—Covington looking to prove his grappling credentials remain sharp, Tsarukyan aiming to protect his undefeated RAF record and silence the noise.
When the two step onto the mat in Milwaukee, the silver-and-gold trash talk will fade into the background. What remains is a high-level wrestling contest between two athletes who have made clear they intend to settle more than just a sporting score. The press conference exchange simply ensured that fans will be watching closely when the bell sounds.
