43 seconds!: a 22-year-old bantamweight humiliates Colby Covington… with McGregor watching cageside
Raul Rosas Jr. took the match on a few days' notice, gave up three weight classes and still made him tap before the first minute. And in 11 days, Chimaev awaits Covington.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: Chamatkar Sandhu, CC BY 3.0 · Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Colby Covington arrived in Rome as the star of the show and left humiliated. On Tuesday, November 3, at the Hype Italy event at PalaPellicone, Raul Rosas Jr., a UFC bantamweight just 22 years old, submitted him with a rear-naked choke in 43 seconds in a submission-only grappling match.
A last-minute replacement
The scheduled opponent was Dillon Danis, who pulled out just before Sunday's press conference. Rosas accepted on just a few days' notice, even though he fights at 135 pounds in the UFC and Covington spent years at welterweight, three divisions above.
How it happened
Rosas took him down on the first attempt, took his back, locked a body grip and sank the choke. Covington tapped at 43 seconds. Some outlets say 37 or 40 seconds; the official broadcast had it at 0:43.
What they said
- Covington: "I just came out a little slow. This is the first time I've done jiu-jitsu in years." He promised to win next time.
- Rosas: said it felt great, recalled becoming a world champion at that same venue in 2019 and was grateful to face "a legend like Colby Covington". His goal: to become the youngest champion in UFC history.
McGregor's laugh
Conor McGregor was in the crowd as a special guest, and cameras caught him laughing at the loss of Covington, his old social media foe. The clip went viral, although McGregor later denied laughing at him and called the video false.
And now… Chimaev
Covington came in on a five-match RAF win streak, including a win over Belal Muhammad in September. But the schedule gives him no break: he's set to defend his RAF crossover belt against Khamzat Chimaev on November 14 in Abu Dhabi, just 11 days after this loss.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Colby Covington vs. Raul Rosas Jr.?
Raul Rosas Jr., by rear-naked choke at 43 seconds, on November 3, 2026 at the Hype Italy event in Rome.
Was it an MMA fight?
No. It was a 10-minute, submission-only grappling match with no strikes.
Why did Rosas Jr. fight instead of Dillon Danis?
Dillon Danis withdrew just before the press conference and Rosas Jr. took the match on a few days' notice.
Did McGregor laugh at Covington?
A viral clip appeared to show him laughing cageside. McGregor later denied it and called the video false.
What's Covington's next match?
He's scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev for the RAF crossover belt on November 14, 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
How old is Raul Rosas Jr.?
22. He's a UFC bantamweight and his goal is to become the youngest champion in the promotion's history.
