Colby Covington was submitted 43 seconds into his grappling match with Raul Rosas Jr on Tuesday.

Covington, a former interim UFC welterweight champion, squared off with Rosas Jr, a rising UFC bantamweight contender, as they headlined Hype Italy.

And Rosas Jr, despite being the naturally much-smaller man, made short work of the former NCAA Division 1 wrestler.

Rosas Jr, 22, immediately shot for a double-leg takedown and hauled Covington, 38, to the mat. Covington was able to stand back up, but Rosas Jr clung to his back as his fellow American attempted a forward-roll escape.

Rosas Jr, still hanging on, began to attack Covington’s neck, briefly threatened an armbar, then returned to a choke attempt. With that, he drove Covington to the mat once more.

There, he locked in a rear naked choke and secured a body triangle with his legs, forcing Covington to tap – and sparking wild celebrations among Rosas Jr’s team.

The match had been scheduled to last a maximum of 10 minutes, with submissions marking the only method of victory.

Afterwards, Rosas Jr labelled Covington a “legend” – saying the same of Conor McGregor, who watched from ringside – and added: “I’m going to become the youngest UFC champion. I’m coming for that belt. That’s my main goal.

“This is just a second thing we do for entertainment. I’m glad to be able to share this with Colby Covington.”

Covington said: “I just came out a little slow. This is the first time I’ve done jiu-jitsu in years. Every setback is a good opportunity for a comeback. I will get my hand raised next time.”

Covington left the UFC in May and is now a wrestling champion with Real American Freestyle. He is due to face Khamzat Chimaev in that discipline on 14 November. Chimaev recently held the UFC middleweight title.

Covington proved divisive during his UFC run due to his frequent insults and MAGA-centric rhetoric. Ahead of his third and final undisputed-title shot in the promotion, he mocked champion Leon Edwards over the passing of the Briton’s father.