Raul Rosas Jr. needed just 43 seconds to defeat Colby Covington in their submission wrestling match at Hype Fighting in Italy on Tuesday. Accepting the bout on late notice 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 go to work for a submission. Once he got into position, Rosas performed a rear-naked choke to go for the finish. Covington did his best to hold on, but was forced to surrender a moment later and the end came just 43 seconds into the 10-minute match. Rosas later praised Covington for accepting the fight against him while also promoting his future plans in the UFC. “It feels great,” Rosas said of the victory. “I was here in 2019, I became world champion, so I’m happy to come back against a legend like Colby Covington. To be able to do it against Conor McGregor, he’s a legend. “I’m going to become the youngest UFC champion. I’m going for that belt. That is my main objective. This is just a second thing we do to entertain ourselves. I’m glad I get to share this with Colby Covington.” For his part, Covington offered no excuses for the loss, but admitted he was looking forward to getting back into the fight as he prepares for a showdown against Khamzat Chimaev at RAF Abu Dhabi in two weeks. “I 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 following a recent victory over Raoni Barcelos.
