Overview
- Khamzat Chimaev’s move to Real American Freestyle was announced during Saturday’s RAF08 event in Philadelphia, with his debut opponent and date still to come while he remains booked to defend the UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland on May 9 in Newark.
- Dana White gave a brief response when told of the deal, saying, “Good for them. I hope it works out for them,” after UFC Winnipeg.
- Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder said he is willing to face Chimaev in RAF, and Bo Nickal also called for a match, yet current UFC rules generally block active roster fighters from wrestling each other in outside promotions as RAF seeks a workaround.
- Chimaev posted on X that he will pay $200,000 to any Olympic champion who “survives” sparring with him, signaling confidence in his wrestling ahead of UFC 328.
- RAF is expanding with crossover names and a fuller calendar, though safety questions persisted after Arman Tsarukyan drove Urijah Faber off the stage at RAF08 with both uninjured, as the league targets RAF09 on May 30 in Dallas and RAF10 on June 13 in St. Louis.