DUBAI: Colby Covington is training with bigger wrestlers to prepare for Khamzat Chimaev’s size advantage and has vowed to “make him quit” when he defends his RAF cruiserweight crossover championship in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14.

The headline clash will take place at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, as RAF stages its first event in the Middle East.

Both enter the contest undefeated in RAF, with Chimaev set to compete in front of a home crowd having represented the UAE since 2023.

Covington, a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler and former interim UFC welterweight champion, told Arab News in an exclusive interview that he has tailored his preparation to the physical challenge posed by Chimaev.

“The way I’ve been training is I’ve been wrestling with bigger guys because he has a lot of weight on me,” Covington said.

“He weighs significantly more than me, maybe 20 (9 kg), 25 pounds. So I have to wrestle with bigger guys, guys that have a body like him.”

The American has been training twice a day and believes the intensity of his preparation reflects what is at stake in Abu Dhabi.

“I’m taking no days off. I want this win more than I’ve wanted any win in my whole entire career.

“So you’re going to bring the best Colby Covington that you’ve seen in any competitive format to Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.”

While Chimaev’s size has shaped his training camp, Covington sees the Russian-born fighter’s height as something he can exploit once they step onto the mat.

“He’s a tall guy. He’s 6’2 (over 1.8 meters), 6’3, but it’s going to be easier to get to those legs because he’s so tall.

“I’m gonna get to his legs. I’m gonna take him down. I’m gonna slam him. I’m gonna make him quit.”

Covington added: “I’m going to break him with pace and just pressure and I’m going to stay on it. I’m going to be in his face the whole time.

“I’m going to go forward the whole time. He’s not going to have the resilience to keep up with me.”

The contest forms part of a card bringing together leading names from wrestling and MMA.

UFC No. 1-ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan will face three-time World BJJ bronze medalist Neiman Gracie in a catchweight crossover matchup.

Two-time Olympic bronze medalist and four-time world champion Kyle Dake will defend his cruiserweight title against Turkmenistan’s Alp Arslan Begenjov, while Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades defends the women’s middleweight title against Bella Mir.

Former UFC contender Zabit Magomedsharipov will face Georgia’s Giga Chikadze in a welterweight crossover contest, while Olympic champion and six-time world champion Jordan Burroughs takes on Belarusian Azamat Nurykau at middleweight.

Four Arab athletes are also set to make their RAF debuts at Etihad Arena. Bahrain’s Hamza Kooheji will meet Jordan’s Ali AlQaisi at lightweight, while Egypt’s Osama Elsaidy faces Bahrain’s Murtaza Talha at light-heavyweight.

Covington believes the mix of international and regional names can help bring professional freestyle wrestling to a wider Middle Eastern audience.

“There are some huge names on the card,” he said. “When you have big names and role models and people that are looked up to like we all are, I think that’s gonna bring the next generation of people in the Middle East and the people around the world really that are gonna be drawn to wrestling because of RAF.”

He believes the sport can appeal to an audience in Abu Dhabi already accustomed to other forms of combat sports.

“A lot of people in Abu Dhabi, they know about martial arts, they know about UFC and they know about jiu-jitsu, but they don’t know about wrestling and they’re about to find out about wrestling.

“I think wrestling is going to become their favorite sport after they see RAF.”

Covington also sees RAF as offering wrestlers a professional pathway to continue competing in the sport.

“I think people are gonna see that there’s this new outlet in RAF where they can make a living for themselves,” he said.

“They can make good financial incentives and really secure their financial future for themselves and their families through the sport of wrestling.”

For Covington, the Abu Dhabi event is ultimately a chance to show a new audience what the sport can offer.

“It’s going to be intense. It’s going to be, I think it will become violent at some point where it’s just going to be gritty.

“Wrestling is not easy, but all good things in life don’t come easy.

“We’re going to show them what wrestling is all about. And hopefully this inspires a tonne of people in Abu Dhabi to follow down the wrestling circuit.”

RAF Abu Dhabi marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and the UAE Wrestling Federation.

Tickets for RAF Abu Dhabi are available now via Ticketmaster.ae and etihadarena.ae.