Colby Covington calls Khamzat Chimaev 'quitter' after UFC 328

Colby Covington ripped Khamzat Chimaev for pulling guard against Sean Strickland at UFC 328, calling the former middleweight champion mentally weak after his first career loss.

Chimaev dropped his unbeaten record and the 185-pound belt in May when Strickland claimed a split decision at Prudential Center in Newark. Strickland entered as a heavy underdog but outlasted Chimaev in a fight that turned into a striking battle after the opening round, reclaiming the title he lost to Dricus du Plessis last year.

Covington sees 'clear path' to break Chimaev

Speaking on Submission Radio, Covington dismissed suggestions that a difficult weight cut sabotaged Chimaev's performance. "It's not the weight cut, it's a discipline cut," he said, per MMA Fighting. "You could see he kind of has that quitter in him." Covington questioned why Chimaev accepted bottom position in the second round, saying he could never imagine pulling guard so easily. "That's where girls are supposed to be," he added.

Covington is scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 on July 18. Both fighters are competing under the Real American Freestyle banner, and Chimaev headlines RAF 10 this Saturday in St. Louis opposite Dillon Danis. Covington told the outlet he plans to attend and expects a tense encounter with Chimaev, who trains alongside Tsarukyan.

The former welterweight title challenger said he sees clear weaknesses and believes he could break Chimaev in a three-round wrestling match. "Round 2 and 3 is when I come on strongest," Covington said. He told reporters he intends to confront Chimaev directly about the Strickland fight, warning that facing him on the mat would be ten times worse than gassing out against the current UFC middleweight champion.

Photo: Alexandra Shea / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Colby Covington: Khamzat Chimaev exposed as ‘quitter’ in UFC 328 loss to Sean Strickland | MMA Fighting