RAF's 5-0 veteran humbled by last-minute replacement Rosas

Wins over Rockhold, Weidman count for little after submission debut

Former UFC veteran Colby Covington was submitted by a 22-year-old newcomer at a grappling event. [Getty Images]
Former UFC veteran Colby Covington was submitted by a 22-year-old newcomer at a grappling event. [Getty Images]

Former UFC veteran Colby Covington, 38, who had beaten top wrestlers including Arman Tsarukyan and Belal Muhammad on the mat, was forced to tap out in just 43 seconds against a newcomer 16 years his junior. His opponent was Raul Rosas Jr., 22, a UFC bantamweight from Mexico who had been rushed in as a last-minute replacement the day before the bout.

Covington lost to Rosas Jr. by rear-naked choke at a Hype Fighting submission grappling event held Tuesday (local time) at the PalaFelicone in Rome, Italy.

Covington held the edge in both size and experience. A former interim UFC welterweight champion, he is also a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler. Rosas Jr., by contrast, competes in the UFC's bantamweight division — two weight classes below Covington's.

The result was all the more surprising given Covington's recent wrestling record. He went 5-0 this year in Real American Freestyle (RAF), defeating Luke Rockhold, Dylan Danis and Chris Weidman in succession before beating UFC lightweight contender Tsarukyan 5-2 in July to claim the cruiserweight crossover title.

In September, he dismantled former UFC welterweight champion Muhammad by a 10-0 technical fall. He had been building a convincing case for his wrestling credentials against marquee combat sports names.

But the bout with Rosas unfolded nothing like expected from the opening seconds. Rosas took Covington down on his first attempt and immediately seized his back. As Covington tried to turn and escape, Rosas locked in a body triangle, secured the rear-naked choke and finished the submission. Covington tapped. The whole sequence took 43 seconds.

Covington had originally been set to face Danis, a previous opponent. But Danis withdrew just before the event, and Rosas Jr. stepped in as a replacement — having volunteered for the fight after attending the event's press conference. He needed just one day to land a marquee scalp.

UFC newcomer Raul Rosas Jr. caused an upset by submitting veteran fighter Colby Covington — two weight classes above him — in 43 seconds at a submission grappling event. [Getty Images]
UFC newcomer Raul Rosas Jr. caused an upset by submitting veteran fighter Colby Covington — two weight classes above him — in 43 seconds at a submission grappling event. [Getty Images]

The rules of RAF and this event differ significantly, however. RAF is a freestyle wrestling competition decided by takedowns and points, while this bout was a submission-only grappling match. The result exposed a gap in Covington's jiu-jitsu game despite his wrestling pedigree.

Covington acknowledged his shortcomings after the fight. He said he was a bit slow to start and that it was his first jiu-jitsu match in years, and went on to say he intended to use the loss as motivation for a comeback.

Rosas Jr. expressed gratitude for the opportunity to face Covington and reaffirmed his goal of becoming the youngest champion in UFC history.

Another test awaits Covington soon. He is set to defend his RAF cruiserweight crossover title against Hamzat Chimaev at an RAF event in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Nov. 14.


yjc@heraldcorp.com