From Title Loss to Wrestling Ring: Chimaev vs. Danis at RAF 10
Khamzat Chimaev’s signing with Real American Freestyle (RAF) was announced at RAF 8 in Philadelphia back in April. At the time, he was still the UFC middleweight champion preparing to defend his belt. A month later, Sean Strickland handed him his first professional loss in a split decision upset at UFC 328 in Newark.
The RAF debut was already booked for Chimaev, and it will take place on June 13 at RAF 10 inside Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. He will wrestle Dillon Danis in a catchweight main event. It’s not a consolation prize after losing his title, but part of a plan he committed to while still champion.
From Title Loss to Wrestling Ring
RAF Has Quietly Built Something Real
Real American Freestyle launched in August 2025 out of Tampa, Florida, co-founded by Chad Bronstein, Terri Francis, and Hulk Hogan. The premise was simple: give wrestlers (amateur, Olympic, and MMA-trained) a platform to compete and get paid for it. Amateur wrestling has always offered zero financial compensation to athletes, and RAF positioned itself as the answer.
Ten events into its existence, RAF has managed to gain relevance. Fox Nation serves as its broadcast partner. The UFC has established a working relationship that allows its contracted fighters to compete in RAF events. The roster now includes names like Colby Covington (2-0 in RAF), Chris Weidman, Gable Steveson, Frankie Edgar, and Khamzat Chimaev.
The key detail is that the UFC gave its blessing for this arrangement. It’s not like the promotion is poaching fighters or operating in the shadows. It has the UFC’s approval, meaning fighters can compete without risking their contracts.
Chimaev’s Wrestling Pedigree Is No Joke
Some fans might view this booking as a novelty act due to Chimaev’s background before entering the octagon. However, the informed fan knows better. Before being a champion, Chimaev was a three-time Swedish national freestyle wrestling champion — winning gold at 86 kilograms in 2016 and 2017 and at 92 kilograms in 2018. He also won a bronze medal at the Russian National Championships at junior level.
His amateur wrestling record in Swedish competition was an impressive 12-0 with three pins and seven technical falls, outscoring opponents by a combined 105-2 across three national tournaments.
At UFC 328 even in defeat against Sean Strickland, Chimaev secured nine takedowns — the grappling wasn’t the problem; it was his striking volume that struggled.
Danis Is There for the Draw, Not the Upset
Dillon Danis brings name recognition and social media engagement but lacks a strong wrestling resume of his own. His combat sports background is rooted in Brazilian jiu-jitsu — he is an IBJJF No-Gi Pans champion and trained under Marcelo Garcia — but his competitive record in actual wrestling is thin.
At RAF 7, Colby Covington kept things even through the first period at 4-4 before running away with ten unanswered points in the second for the tech fall against Danis.
The Bigger Picture: MMA Fighters Need More Revenue Streams
The real story here isn’t Khamzat vs. Danis but rather that more UFC fighters are actively competing outside the octagon between fights – and being encouraged to do so.
Colby Covington has fought twice in RAF events already. Gable Steveson and Chris Weidman made their RAF debuts at RAF 9 in Dallas. Arman Tsarukyan competed at RAF 6.
For fighters frustrated by UFC compensation – where introductory pay starts at $12k to show and $12k to win – RAF offers an additional revenue stream that doesn’t require taking damage in a cage.
What to Expect
Khamzat Chimaev should dominate this matchup on pure wrestling credentials alone. The more interesting question is whether a dominant performance keeps his name in the spotlight heading into what will presumably be a Strickland rematch later this year.
RAF 10 takes place on June 13 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri streaming on Fox Nation.
