COVINGTON BOOKS DANIS SUBMISSION REMATCH 11 DAYS BEFORE CHIMAEV
Colby Covington takes a submission-only rematch with Dillon Danis in Rome on Nov. 3, then turns straight around for Khamzat Chimaev.
Colby Covington has booked himself a warm-up fight nobody asked for. Eleven days before his biggest test on the mats, he faces Dillon Danis again.
Hype Fighting announced the booking on Wednesday afternoon. The pair meet in a submission-only grappling match on Nov. 3 in Rome.
The venue is the Pala Pellicone. For Covington, the date is the story.
Eleven Days Before Chimaev
On Nov. 14, Covington wrestles Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi. That match is for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship at the Etihad Arena.
Both men are unbeaten in Real American Freestyle. That is the main event. Rome is now the risky detour in front of it.
One bad scramble in a submission match can change everything. Covington is betting it will not.
A Rematch On Danis' Turf
These two have history. Covington beat Danis by technical fall in RAF wrestling back in March at RAF 7.
That was wrestling, where Covington holds the clear edge. This time the rules move toward Danis, a career grappler who lives for submissions.
Danis also lost to Chimaev by pinfall in June, in a match that ended in a team brawl. He is also due to wrestle Arman Tsarukyan on Oct. 23 at RAF 14.
Danis gets Tsarukyan, then Covington, in the space of eleven days himself.
Why Covington Risked It
Covington, 38, is 5-0 in RAF and holds its Cruiserweight Crossover title. Last time out, he defended that standing with a technical fall win over Belal Muhammad.
He was due to compete for Hype on Oct. 4 in Quito, but he withdrew. He later blamed food poisoning for that missed date.
Now he takes two bookings in eleven days instead of one. The former UFC interim welterweight champion is clearly not protecting his Chimaev date.
So which is it — supreme confidence from Covington, or the one risk that blows up the Chimaev title match before it starts?
