Danis Pulls Out On Covington, Rosas Jr. Steps In

Dillon Danis has withdrawn from a scheduled grappling match against Colby Covington at Hype Fighting in Rome, marking his third pullout from a signed bout in under a year.

The announcement came during a press conference Friday, when Hype Fighting organizers revealed Danis would not compete at Tuesday's event. Raul Rosas Jr., who was in attendance, immediately volunteered to replace him on three days notice. "Unfortunately, Dillon Danis could not come," a Hype Fighting organizer said, per MMA Mania. "If there's someone who wants to wrestle with Colby, we can organize it."

Rosas Jr. Accepts Covington Grappling Match

Rosas walked down from the audience and faced off with Covington after accepting the bout. The 19-year-old UFC bantamweight steps in for what was scheduled as a high-profile grappling showcase between the former Bellator fighter and the ex-UFC welterweight title challenger.

Danis previously pulled out of an MMA fight against Mike Perry at a Duel Arena event in August, citing an arm injury that observers questioned. He also withdrew from a December boxing match against Anthony Taylor, with organizers attributing the pullout to medical clearance issues following a brawl at UFC 322 last November. The former Brazilian jiu-jitsu prospect has competed three times at Real American Freestyle events over the past eight months, losing each match.

The Covington-Rosas grappling bout goes down November 3 in Rome.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Dillon Danis dips on grappling match with Colby Covington, Raul Rosas Jr. steps in on three days notice