Khamzat Chimaev Plans Active RAF Run

Khamzat Chimaev is expected to remain active in Real American Freestyle Wrestling while he waits for clarity on a possible UFC rematch with Sean Strickland. RAF boss Chad Bronstein said Chimaev will have an active run in the promotion, with a couple of wrestling appearances anticipated before the end of 2026. The plan gives Chimaev a defined competitive outlet while the timing of a return bout with Strickland remains uncertain.

The situation follows a rapid change in Chimaev’s recent middleweight story. This past May, Chimaev’s short reign as middleweight champion ended when Sean Strickland defeated him. Chimaev then campaigned for a rematch with Strickland, despite having previously told Dana White that he intended to move to 205 pounds. Strickland initially appeared uninterested in another meeting, but later changed his position on the possibility. Even so, the supplied report says a rematch this year appears unlikely if it is to be Chimaev’s next fight. RAF therefore offers Chimaev a way to compete rather than simply wait, without presenting the wrestling appearances as a replacement for his stated interest in another fight with Strickland.

Chimaev’s RAF schedule takes shape

Chimaev has already competed once for RAF. In June, he made his promotional debut at RAF 10 against Dillon Danis and won by pinfall. That appearance did not end quietly: a large brawl involving Danis and Chimaev’s team broke out afterward, with punches thrown. The incident created an obvious question about whether it would alter Chimaev’s role in the promotion. According to the report, it has not. Chimaev is set to return to the mats at RAF Moscow, where he will face Tyron Woodley.

That scheduled Woodley match is the clearest confirmed next event in Chimaev’s active-run plan. Bronstein also said Chimaev would wrestle a couple of times before year-end, framing the approach as similar to other current UFC fighters using RAF while awaiting their next UFC assignments. The distinction matters because the available information does not confirm a UFC date, a rematch agreement or any change to Chimaev’s stated desire to face Strickland again. What it does confirm is a near-term route for Chimaev to compete in wrestling, beginning with the Woodley appearance and potentially continuing with further RAF outings in 2026.

What the timeline confirms for Chimaev

Chimaev’s path can be read as a sequence of confirmed developments rather than a settled UFC roadmap. His May defeat by Strickland led to his public push for a rematch. His June win over Danis then established his involvement with RAF, even though the post-match brawl brought unwanted disorder to that debut. Now, RAF Moscow is positioned as Chimaev’s next named competition, against Woodley. Bronstein’s expectation of further appearances provides additional context for why Chimaev is being described as active while the Strickland situation develops. Bronstein praised Chimaev as a professional and said he was excited to watch him compete again. He also highlighted the impact of Chimaev’s prior RAF entrance, crediting Eric Bischoff, James and their team for the presentation. Those comments reflect RAF’s enthusiasm for Chimaev’s involvement, but they do not establish an exact number of matches, dates for later appearances or a deadline for a UFC return. The supported takeaway is narrower: Chimaev has a booked RAF opponent and an expectation of multiple wrestling appearances before 2026 ends. Chimaev’s immediate confirmed picture: The May middleweight defeat by Sean Strickland prompted Chimaev to campaign for a rematch. The June RAF 10 debut ended with Chimaev defeating Dillon Danis by pinfall. The next announced RAF appearance places Chimaev against Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow. The post-RAF 10 brawl did not prevent Chimaev from being scheduled to return. Bronstein separately said Danis will also be back in RAF, explaining that the organization addressed certain issues surrounding the incident. That detail helps clarify that the promotion’s response did not remove Chimaev from its plans. For Chimaev, the central development remains the chance to keep competing while the potential Strickland rematch is unresolved.

• Chimaev is set to wrestle Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow.
• Bronstein expects Chimaev to wrestle a couple of times before the end of 2026.

Chimaev’s next confirmed competitive move is his RAF Moscow match with Woodley, not a finalized UFC rematch. With Bronstein expecting additional wrestling appearances before the end of 2026, Chimaev has a stated way to remain active as the possibility of another fight with Strickland remains unsettled.

Sources: Bloody Elbow