Chris Weidman replaces Colby Covington against Khamzat Chimaev for the RAF light heavyweight crossover championship in Abu Dhabi. The promotion announced the withdrawal on 9 November without giving a reason.
RAF has replaced Colby Covington with Chris Weidman in its Abu Dhabi wrestling main event against Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev had been scheduled to challenge Covington for his cruiserweight crossover championship; the revised match is for the light heavyweight crossover championship instead.
The promotion did not disclose why Covington withdrew, MMA Fighting said. The National attributed his withdrawal to an injury.
Covington, a former UFC interim welterweight champion, won the cruiserweight crossover title on points against Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. He then defended it against Belal Muhammad with a first-period technical fall at RAF 13. Covington was on a 5-match winning streak in RAF before withdrawing.
Weidman and Chimaev are both former UFC middleweight champions. Weidman is a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling All-American. Chimaev lost the title to Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 in May. In Weidman’s only previous RAF appearance, he lost a decision to Covington in May. Weidman said wrestling has always been a major part of his life, called Chimaev a tough opponent and said having a title at stake made the match more exciting.
Chimaev and Weidman are scheduled to wrestle at Etihad Arena on 14 November.
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