Colby Covington Out of Khamzat Chimaev RAF Match, Chris Weidman Steps In
Colby Covington has backed out of his wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev at RAF Abu Dhabi because of an injury. However, the nature of his injury has not been disclosed.
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman will now be stepping in on short notice as a replacement to face "Borz" in the main event this Saturday.
Chris Weidman Replaces Colby Covington at RAF Abu Dhabi
Initially, Colby Covington was booked to defend his cruiserweight crossover title against Chimaev on Saturday at Etihad Arena. However, with âChaosâ withdrawing from the match just a few days before the event, the promotion has now arranged a new matchup for the light heavyweight crossover championship
The 42-year-old Weidman has already agreed to the challenge, according to The National, and is looking forward to competing in Abu Dhabi for the first time.
"Wrestling has always been a huge part of my life, and I love competing against the best," Weidman said.
However, he is no stranger to Covington. Weidman and Covington previously met at RAF 9 in May, where "Chaos" in a neck-and-neck match defeated the New Yorker by a 5-4 decision.
Weidman initially took the lead with a throw, but Covington fought his way back, securing the winning point in the final stage.
Since then, Covington has gone on to capture the cruiserweight crossover belt by beating Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. He then defended it again against Belal Muhammad with a 10-0 technical fall in September.
Although the former UFC interim welterweight champion has been enjoying his successful run in wrestling, his recent injury has sadly forced him out of one of RAF's biggest events.
Weidman Finally Gets His Match Against Chimaev
Weidman, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Hofstra University, made his name in the UFC by knocking out Anderson Silva in 2013 and ending the Brazilian's long middleweight title reign.
The American retired from MMA in January 2025 and made his return to competitive wrestling through RAF earlier this year.
It's worth noting that Khamzat Chimaev was a name Weidman had previously mentioned as a potential opponent. During an interview with MMA Fighting in May, the former champion revealed that people often asked how he would have performed against "Borz" during his prime, to which he described the possibility of wrestling Chimaev as an intriguing matchup.
Chimaev, meanwhile, has remained unbeaten in the RAF, and his most recent appearance came against Robbie Lawler at RAF 14 in October, where he secured an 11-0 technical fall victory.
The 32-year-old is now set to face Chris Weidman, who is also an experienced wrestler instead of Covington. Both men have previously held UFC middleweight gold, but this time they will be competing under freestyle wrestling rules.
In addition to the new main event matchup, RAF Abu Dhabi also features Arman Tsarukyan vs. Neiman Gracie and Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Urijah Faber.
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