Belal Muhammad’s wife dragged into feud as Ben Askren blasts Colby Covington’s remarks

Belal Muhammad’s wife targeted as Covington’s insults spark Askren backlash

Belal Muhammad became the latest flashpoint in the long-running feud between Ben Askren and Colby Covington after Covington mocked Muhammad’s appearance and insulted his wife at a Real American Freestyle press conference on 18 Jul 2026. Askren, who lost 6-3 to Muhammad in the co-main event of RAF 11 on the same day, called Covington’s comments “terrible human-being stuff” and drew a firm line at dragging families into the crossfire.

What happened at RAF 11?

Askren and Covington shared the Real American Freestyle 11 card in Los Angeles on 18 Jul 2026, but their UFC-era tension spilled into the open at the pre-event press conference. Covington first congratulated Muhammad on becoming a father, then asked, “Who the f- let you hit?” before calling Muhammad “one of the ugliest” people he had seen and insulting his partner, calling her “a gargoyle.”

Askren wrestled Muhammad in the co-main event that night, dropping a 6-3 decision in what he described as his final wrestling match. The two shared the RAF 11 stage with Covington’s lightweight bout against Arman Tsarukyan, keeping their old UFC rivalry in view even in a different sport.

Why Askren drew the line at family attacks

Askren, a 42-year-old Olympic wrestler and former Bellator champion, said he tries not to hold grudges but has little interest in rebuilding a relationship with Covington. “We’re in show business, and I get the whole trash-talking thing, but don’t bring Belal’s wife into it,” Askren said. “I think a lot of the things he does are just kind of gross.”

The remarks came just months after Askren received a double lung transplant, adding personal stakes to his refusal to tolerate Covington’s brand of verbal warfare. Askren’s stance framed the dispute not as a wrestling issue, but as a matter of respect-especially when it came to Muhammad’s family.

Covington fires back with his own take

Covington, the former UFC interim welterweight champion, pushed back on Askren’s criticism. “I’m willing to take the high road, and I’m just grateful for Ben and him being behind the scenes at RAF,” Covington said. But he admitted the friction remains. “Definitely, you can still see some friction there,” Covington added. “For whatever reason, Ben doesn’t like me.”

Covington framed their rivalry through their UFC years, when both were established welterweights but never met inside the Octagon. “We were the fiercest of rivals in the UFC,” Covington said. “He wanted everything that I had, but unfortunately, he fell a little short.” He insisted he holds no ill will toward Askren, calling him a key figure behind the promotion’s growth.

Where Belal Muhammad stands in the crossfire

Muhammad, who finished 6-3 against Askren on 18 Jul 2026, did not comment publicly on the Covington remarks. But the incident thrust him back into the spotlight-not for his own performance, but for the personal attacks leveled at his family. Askren’s public rebuke of Covington underscored how quickly trash talk can escalate when it crosses into the personal, even in a different sport.

Askren, who has carved out a role as a vocal figure in wrestling circles post-UFC, made clear he won’t engage further. “He can choose to do that, but I’m probably not going to,” Askren said. The RAF 11 card kept the old guard in the same room, but the tension stayed firmly in the open.