Colby Covington just dropped a verbal bomb on Khamzat Chimaev, flat-out calling him a “quitter” ahead of their Real American Freestyle (RAF) cruiserweight title showdown on November 14 in Abu Dhabi. This isn’t just another wrestling match, folks. Covington is clearly not holding back, laying out exactly why he thinks Chimaev stands no chance on the mats.
“I Know I Can Break This Guy” , Covington’s Unshakeable Confidence
“Chaos” has been on an absolute tear since ditching the UFC, retiring officially from MMA back in May to focus solely on freestyle wrestling. It’ll be two years in December since Covington, 38, last fought MMA, and he’s been racking up wins in RAF against a lineup of former and current UFC stars. His RAF record is a pristine 5-0, and he snagged the inaugural RAF crossover cruiserweight championship by beating Arman Tsarukyan, then defended it with a dominant 10-0 shutout over Belal Muhammad. Now, he’s set to face his “most formidable wrestling foe yet” in former UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev, who holds a 3-0 RAF record himself.
But Covington is totally unfazed. Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show” this week, he didn’t mince words. “It’s not the toughest matchup for me. I know I can break this guy,” Covington declared. He’s pointing to Chimaev’s past, specifically that time he pulled guard against Sean Strickland and got taken down by Gilbert Burns, a jiu-jitsu artist. “That’s never, ever going to happen to me,” Covington vowed. His biggest claim? Chimaev’s cardio. “He just doesn’t have that cardio. He’s a quitter. I just know I can hang on and get him tired. In six minutes, he can’t hang with me on that freestyle wrestling mat.” Covington sounds like he’s seen Chimaev’s full tape and isn’t impressed one bit.
RAF Abu Dhabi Could Get Wild
While Covington is super confident about the actual wrestling, he’s got some thoughts about the location. “Chaos” ideally wants his future matches to stay stateside, but he wasn’t going to fuss about this one because he wants to keep giving wrestling fans top-tier matchups. If there’s any concern for him, it’s not Chimaev on the mat, it’s the potential for a whole different kind of “chaos” outside of it.
Covington and Chimaev have a history of verbal jabs, and Chimaev is NOT known for letting insults slide. We all remember that infamous full-scale brawl between Chimaev’s team and Dillon Danis’ team after Chimaev’s quick win at RAF 10. Covington witnessed that firsthand, and he’s not taking any chances. “With me everywhere, it’s unpredictable,” Covington said. “‘Chaos’ is unpredictable, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.” He’s there to wrestle, sure, but he also reminds everyone, “I was the best fighter on Earth, and I’m still a great fighter and can beat anybody and hold my own against anybody in the world.” He added, “If there needs to be a fight, I’m always willing to protect myself and defend myself. But I’m going there to win a freestyle wrestling match.” Covington put the ball in Chimaev’s court: “If he gets chippy because he’s mad that he can’t beat me at freestyle wrestling, that’s his agenda. That’s his ego that is going to be hurt. That’s up to him. I’m a professional.”
This clash isn’t just for Colby Covington’s 185-pound cruiserweight title, it’s for bragging rights, and potentially, a lot more. Chimaev has had quick wins over Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns last month after his debut against Danis, but Covington clearly thinks that’s nothing special. Come November 14, we’re not just watching a wrestling match, we’re watching two volatile personalities go head-to-head for a belt, and one of them just called the other a quitter. You do NOT want to miss this.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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