Colby Covington never made it to the mat in Quito. The former UFC interim welterweight champion was pulled from his submission-only grappling match against Mayton Perea at Hype Fighting Championship on Sunday, Oct. 4, after medical problems that included a trip to the hospital the day before the event.
El Universo reported that Covington missed his co-main event slot at the Coliseo General Rumiñahui because of those medical issues. Information given out during the show said he had gone to a hospital on Saturday. Extra described the absence as the result of an illness. Organizers did not officially explain the specific cause, according to El Universo, and as of the Oct. 4 and 5 reporting no diagnosis had been made public beyond the illness framing and the hospital visit.
The scratch came late. El Universo reported that Covington had taken part in promotional activities in the lead-up to the card, so this was a fighter who was in town and working the event right up until he wasn’t.
The replacement made it count
AgentMMA reported that Juan Albarello stepped in at the last minute. El Universo identified him as Juan Albarello Rangel, a Guayaquil fighter listed at 85 kilograms. He needed 2:19 to submit Perea with a foot lock, per El Universo. AgentMMA called the finish a foot americana, which is the kind of detail I’d love to see on tape before picking a side.
That result stings for Perea. The Ibarra native signed with the UFC after a 45-second TKO of Zevan Hunt on Dana White’s Contender Series, and El Universo reported he was treating the Hype bout as a measuring stick before his promotional debut. After the loss he apologized to the crowd and said he would aim to deliver in the UFC in February, according to El Universo and Extra.
Where Covington stands
Covington is 38, trains out of MMA Masters and holds a 17-5 professional MMA record, per AgentMMA. He was booked as one of the headline names on Hype’s first Ecuador show, a 15-bout card that split into seven bare-knuckle matches and eight submission-only matches.
The main event went the distance in its own way. Marlon “Chito” Vera and Jose Aldo grappled for 10 minutes under submission-only rules and finished in a draw, El Universo and AgentMMA reported. No word yet on whether Hype plans to rebook Covington against Perea or anyone else once he’s cleared.
Quick take
Covington’s health comes first, and until someone with actual information says what put him in the hospital, I’m not guessing. The grappling story is the part I can speak to. A late replacement with no camp for this matchup walked onto the mat and attacked the feet of a fighter with a UFC contract in his pocket, and it was over before the 2:30 mark. Perea wanted a measuring stick and got one, just not the kind he was hoping for. If he’s smart he spends the time between now and February drilling leg lock defense, because UFC grapplers have been studying that position for years and Albarello just put the tape out for free.