Colby Covington has made a bold claim about a potential wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev. The former UFC star believes his cardio and relentless pace would eventually break the former UFC middleweight champion. Covington has also accused Chimaev of having “quitter tendencies” and believes he can expose them in a wrestling contest.The matchup has become a major talking point in Real American Freestyle (RAF). Chimaev recently hinted that he could wrestle Covington in Abu Dhabi. Covington is open to the idea, but he has insisted that the bout must happen at 185 pounds. He now believes Chimaev’s physical style would not be enough to deal with his pace.
Will Colby Covington break Khamzat Chimaev in a wrestling match?
Colby Covington has no doubts about how he would approach a potential wrestling match with Khamzat Chimaev. He believes the key would be his cardio.The former UFC welterweight title challenger has built his wrestling career around a high-pressure style. He constantly pushes the pace and looks to make his opponents work. Covington believes that could become a major advantage against Chimaev.“I think I would break Khamzat. He doesn’t have the cardio to keep up with me. He has those quitter tendencies. I will bring those quitter tendencies out of him if that’s the next matchup”, he told Submission Radio.Covington’s comments come as interest in a potential RAF showdown continues to grow. Chimaev recently appeared to reveal that the two could meet in Abu Dhabi.Covington believes that difference could become important if they meet under freestyle wrestling rules.The former UFC fighter has also made it clear that the weight would need to be agreed upon before the matchup can happen. He does not want to move into the 200-pound range to face Chimaev.Covington wants the contest at 185 pounds.Chimaev’s name is not the only one on Covington’s list. After his RAF 13 victory over Belal Muhammad, Covington said he would actually prefer a wrestling trilogy against Kamaru Usman.“You know, it’s, it’s a long list of guys, you know, and, and thankfully, you know, RAF has so much good talent for me to really challenge and test myself. But, you know, of course, you know, the Marty Fake Newsman, we have unfinished business. You know, that trilogy is a huge matchup. So, you know, that’s probably the top of the list”, he said.Covington and Usman previously fought twice in the UFC. Usman won both contests. He stopped Covington at UFC 245 in 2019 before defeating him by unanimous decision at UFC 268 in 2021.Covington has continued to dispute those results and sees wrestling as a chance to renew the rivalry under different rules.However, Chimaev remains a major option. Covington has previously named several other potential RAF opponents, including Gilbert Burns, Michael Chandler, Sean Brady and Arman Tsarukyan.For now, a Chimaev matchup is still dependent on the promotion finalising the details. If the fight does happen at 185 pounds, Covington believes his endurance could be the deciding factor.