Raul Rosas Jr. needed just 43 seconds to knock out Colby Covington in his only submission match at Hype Fighting in Italy on Tuesday.
Accepting the match late after Dillon Danis withdrew, Rosas barely broke a sweat as he showed off his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills against a much larger opponent in Covington.
Rosas scored an early takedown much to Covington’s surprise and the UFC bantamweight contender was quick to jump on his back and immediately began working for a submission. Once in position, Rosas locked in a rear naked choke to look for the finish.
Covington did his best to hold on, but he was forced to give up just a moment later, with the end coming just 43 seconds into the 10-minute match. Afterward, Rosas praised Covington for accepting the match against him while also touting his future plans in the UFC.
“It’s awesome,” Rosas said of the victory. “I was here in 2019, I became world champion, so I’m happy to be back against a legend like Colby Covington. To be able to do it in front of Conor McGregor, he’s a legend.
“I’m going to become the youngest champion in the UFC. I’m coming for this belt. That’s my main goal. It’s just a second thing we do for fun. I’m happy to be able to share that with Colby Covington.”
For his part, Covington offered no excuses for the defeat, but admitted he was eager to return to fighting as he prepares for a clash against RAF’s Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi in two weeks.
“I just came out a little slow,” Covington said. “This is the first time I’ve done jiu-jitsu in years. Every setback is a good opportunity to come back. I’ll raise my hand next time.”
Covington is now preparing for his return to the RAF while Rosas awaits his next UFC assignment after a recent victory over Raoni Barcelos.
Gn sports
