Dillon Danis Not Banned by RAF

Dillon Danis is not banned from Real American Freestyle following the brawl that broke out after his June match with Khamzat Chimaev at RAF 10. RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein said Dillon Danis will be seen in the promotion again, while making clear that the confrontation was not an outcome the organization wanted. The update gives Dillon Danis a route back to the RAF mat after an incident that began in the aftermath of a match and rapidly involved members of both sides.

The sequence at RAF 10 matters because the competitive result did not end the story. Chimaev defeated Dillon Danis by pinfall in St. Louis, according to the report. During the exchange, Dillon Danis appeared to be applying a jiu-jitsu choke. After the match, Dillon Danis threw a kick from his back, Chimaev kicked back, and team members swarmed the mat. Bronstein said RAF stepped in and had to deal with certain matters involving Dillon Danis, but he stopped short of describing the response as a ban. That distinction is central: RAF has acknowledged an unacceptable episode while leaving open Dillon Danis’ eventual return.

RAF keeps Dillon Danis eligible to return

Bronstein’s comments provide the clearest confirmed status for Dillon Danis after the RAF 10 brawl. He said, “Yeah, you’ll see Dillon Danis back in RAF,” before explaining that he did not need to ban him because the organization stepped in. Bronstein also said he has worked with Dillon Danis behind the scenes and described him as respectful to people in the organization. At the same time, Bronstein did not dismiss what occurred after the match. He said the brawl was something RAF never wants and that Dillon Danis knows that because they have discussed it. That combination is more specific than simply saying the matter has passed. RAF’s co-founder presented the situation as one in which the promotion addressed conduct it found unacceptable without closing the door on Dillon Danis as a participant. Bronstein did not give a return date, name a future opponent, or say when Dillon Danis would next appear. His wording was instead that Dillon Danis would be back “eventually,” which leaves the timing unresolved while confirming that no ban is in place.

For Dillon Danis, the update also separates a return to RAF from the fallout of one volatile moment. The reported incident followed a completed match with Chimaev rather than preventing the bout from taking place. RAF can therefore address the post-match escalation while still recognizing Dillon Danis’ participation in its wrestling events. Bronstein’s remarks also frame the internal response around direct conversations and intervention, not a publicly stated permanent exclusion. Readers looking for a confirmed next booking should note that none was announced for Dillon Danis in the material. The confirmed development is narrower but important: RAF expects him to return, with the organization retaining its stated objection to the brawl.

Dillon Danis’ RAF context after RAF 10

The Chimaev match was not Dillon Danis’ first reported appearance under the RAF banner. BJPenn reported that Dillon Danis has two losses in RAF: the loss to Chimaev at RAF 10 and a 14-4 loss to Colby Covington in March. Those results provide useful context for the promotion’s decision. The available material does not identify a new matchup for Dillon Danis, but it does show that he has already been part of more than one RAF event. Chimaev, meanwhile, already has a separate RAF return booked. He is scheduled to face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the main event of RAF Moscow on Sept. 5. That booking does not establish a timetable for Dillon Danis, and it should not be read as one. It does, however, show RAF moving ahead with its schedule after the June incident while Bronstein says Dillon Danis remains eligible for an eventual appearance.

• RAF’s confirmed position: Dillon Danis is not banned, and Bronstein expects him to return eventually.
• What remains unconfirmed: RAF has not announced a date, opponent, or specific event for Dillon Danis’ next appearance.

Dillon Danis remains part of RAF’s future plans despite the brawl that followed RAF 10. Bronstein’s update does not erase the promotion’s concern about the incident, but it confirms the practical outcome: Dillon Danis has not been barred from returning. Until RAF announces an event or opponent, the timing and shape of that return remain open.

Sources: MMA Fighting; BJPenn