Raul Rosas Jr. submits Covington as McGregor denies mocking
The UFC bantamweight needed less than a minute in Rome, and McGregor says the clip of him laughing at the loss is fake
Raul Rosas Jr., a UFC bantamweight, submitted Colby Covington with a rear-naked choke in under a minute on Tuesday at Pala Pellicone in Rome, in the Hype FC main event. On Wednesday, Conor McGregor denied laughing at Covington’s loss in a video that went viral.
How Rosas finished Covington in Rome
Rosas, 22, took the fight at the event’s own press conference on Sunday after Dillon Danis pulled out. Covington, 38, came in on a five-fight winning streak in RAF, the freestyle wrestling league.
The match was set for one 10-minute round, and only a submission could win it. Rosas shot on the legs, took Covington down and climbed onto his back.
According to The Independent, he locked in a body triangle, tried an armbar and went back to the choke until Covington tapped. DAZN, which streamed the event, had the time at 43 seconds. Hype FC announced 40.
What Covington and Rosas said after the match
“I just came out a little slow,” Covington said, in remarks published by Athlon Sports and MMA Fighting. “This is the first time I’ve done jiu-jitsu in years.” He made no excuses and promised a response: “I will get my hand raised next time.”
Rosas called his opponent a legend and went back to his favorite subject: “I’m going to become the youngest UFC champion. That’s my main goal.” That record belongs to Jon Jones, who won the title at 23 in 2011.
Covington’s black belt and the Warlley Alves guillotine
Covington’s comment stands out because he holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Daniel Valverde promoted him in April 2023 after about four years of nearly daily training, according to Sherdog.
In 22 MMA fights, Covington has been submitted only once, by Brazil’s Warlley Alves, with a guillotine at 1:26 of the first round at UFC 194 in December 2015. It was the first loss of his career.
Rosas got there faster, coming from a much lighter division. The bantamweight limit is 135 pounds, while Covington fought at 170 in the UFC. In MMA, Rosas has six wins by submission, three of them by rear-naked choke.
McGregor’s denial about the viral clip
McGregor was in Rome as a guest of the event. On Tuesday night, the account Spinnin Backfist posted footage of him laughing and tied it to the submission, and the clip spread fast.
He answered on X: “This is false and fully edited.” He said he had a great time at the show and that the laugh was real, but that it was placed at the wrong moment. “I do not laugh at competing men and women. I respect them! Win lose draw!” he wrote.
McGregor did not say what he was laughing at, and it is still unclear who made the video.
What’s next: Chimaev and Clay Guida
The loss came 11 days before Covington defends his RAF title against Khamzat Chimaev on Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. That one is a different format: freestyle wrestling, with no submissions.
Covington is unbeaten in the league, with wins over Danis and Arman Tsarukyan, who shut out Danis in October. Chimaev has won all four of his RAF matches. Rosas makes his RAF debut on Nov. 28 against Clay Guida in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
Do you think the loss in Rome says anything about Covington against Chimaev, or are wrestling and submission grappling too different to compare? Tell us in the comments.
Read more:
- Raul Rosas Jr. replaces Dillon Danis to face Colby Covington
- Khamzat Chimaev vs Jorge Masvidal grappling match in Dubai
- Arman Tsarukyan shuts out Dillon Danis, calls out GSP
