Grappling: Raul Rosas Jr. submits Colby Covington inside a minute

Raul Rosas Jr. pulled off an upset on Tuesday 3 November in Rome. Headlining Hype FC at the PalaPellicone, the young UFC bantamweight submitted Colby Covington with a rear-naked choke in around 40 seconds, in a submission-only grappling match. Reported times range from 37 to 43 seconds depending on the outlet.

It was quick work. Rosas took Covington down on his first attempt, moved to the back and sank the choke until the tap. The size gap makes it stand out: Covington is a former interim UFC welterweight champion (170 lb), while Rosas fights two divisions lower, at bantamweight (135 lb).

A replacement from the press conference

Covington was booked against Dillon Danis, whom he had already beaten on the mat. Danis pulled out one or two days before the match, and US outlets give different reasons, from undisclosed motives to doctors refusing to clear him. Hype FC chief Armand Martirosian announced the withdrawal at the press conference and called for a replacement. Rosas, who was in the room, volunteered. Conor McGregor was matside and laughed at the result, according to SB Nation.

Two careers turning to wrestling

Without a UFC fight since 2024, Covington has moved into professional freestyle wrestling with Real American Freestyle (RAF). He had won five straight there, over Dillon Danis, Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman, Arman Tsarukyan and Belal Muhammad. This is his first loss since leaving the Octagon.

Rosas made his name in 2022 as the youngest fighter in UFC history.

What's next

Both men are back with RAF this month. Covington wrestles Khamzat Chimaev on 14 November in Abu Dhabi, the same day as Ciryl Gane's UFC 334 in New York. Rosas makes his league debut against Clay Guida at RAF 15 on 28 November.