Khamzat Chimaev remains far from convinced that a legitimate physical injury is the real reason behind Colby Covington’s sudden withdrawal from their highly anticipated grappling showdown.
The former UFC middleweight standout has stayed consistently active away from the traditional Octagon since his hard-fought loss to Sean Strickland back in May. Rather than remaining idle while waiting out the next phase of his mixed martial arts career, Chimaev has embraced the grappling scene under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner. Following a string of notable high-profile victories over veteran names such as Dillon Danis, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns, and Robbie Lawler, Chimaev was all set to step onto the mat for his inaugural RAF title match, which serves as the marquee headliner for the promotion’s upcoming blockbuster event in Abu Dhabi.
Initially, the blockbuster card was designed to feature a massive cross-promotional title clash pitting Chimaev against the reigning RAF cruiserweight crossover champion, Colby Covington. However, with Covington abruptly pulling out of the contest, "Borz" has been forced to shift his focus and will now battle veteran former UFC champion Chris Weidman for the promotion’s light heavyweight crossover belt instead.
Khamzat Chimaev Claims Colby Covington is "Scared" After Injury Cancels RAF Abu Dhabi Title Match
Colby "Chaos" Covington’s journey to this moment had been characterized by a busy schedule of grappling and alternative combat sports ventures. After capturing the RAF cruiserweight crossover championship by defeating Arman Tsarukyan, Covington went on to successfully defend the coveted strap for the first time by turning back the challenge of welterweight contender Belal Muhammad.
Covington, who officially retired from active UFC competition earlier this year, has increasingly taken his immense combat talents to alternative organizations around the globe. Most recently, the polarizing Miami native traveled to Rome to headline a high-profile Hype FC event. That outing, however, did not go according to plan. Just days after Covington suffered a shocking and rapid submission loss—tapping out in a stunning 37 seconds against rising UFC bantamweight star Raul Rosas Jr. in a replacement matchup—news broke that an injury had forced him to withdraw from his scheduled RAF Abu Dhabi title defense against Chimaev on less than a week’s notice.
Given the timing of the quick submission defeat in Italy and the subsequent withdrawal from the Abu Dhabi card, it is safe to say that the Chechen star does not buy the official narrative regarding Covington’s physical status. Taking to social media to voice his skepticism, Chimaev did not hold back his true feelings about his rival’s sudden exit. "(Colby) is not coming, he is scared," Chimaev wrote bluntly on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The sentiment of doubt quickly spread across the combat sports community, with fans weighing in on social media regarding the sudden change of plans. When one inquiring fan in the comments section suggested that former middleweight champion Sean Strickland should step into the vacancy to face Chimaev instead, the Chechen fighter offered a similarly dismissive response regarding the American, writing, "He is scared too."
Having seemingly missed out on an immediate, direct UFC rematch with Strickland following his setback earlier in the year, "Borz" has recently outlined a strategic professional timeline. Chimaev has indicated his intention to bide his time and wait for the winner of the upcoming championship pairing between Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov as the division moves forward into 2027.
In the interim, the powerhouse grappler will have plenty of opportunities to stay remarkably busy on the RAF mats over the coming months. Those competitive engagements could very well include establishing a dominant reign as a multi-division crossover champion, provided he can successfully navigate the formidable challenge posed by UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman when they lock horns in the Middle East.
