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Khamzat Chimaev's RAF Debut Announced

Real American Freestyle made a major announcement that Khamzat Chimaev will make his debut against Dillon Danis at RAF 10.

Chimaev’s signing with the promotion generated plenty of attention, and he now looks to put his wrestling skills to the test. RAF 10 takes place at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis on Jun. 13 and will stream live on FOX Nation.

‘Borz’ is fresh off his middleweight title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. His brother admitted that he had a grueling weight cut after initially preparing for a light heavyweight bout before plans changed. Now, Chimaev aims to get back on track and regain some momentum through RAF.

The matchup is set to be contested at a catchweight, so Chimaev should not have any difficulty with the weight cut. Danis is known for getting under his opponents’ skin, so it will be interesting to see what he has planned. RAF press conferences have also received attention due to the some spirited back-and-forth exchanges.

Danis enters RAF 10 coming off his loss to Colby Covington. Chimaev, meanwhile, will be a month removed from his fight with Strickland, where he lost by split decision.

Given Chimaev’s strong wrestling inside the octagon, many elite wrestlers may express interest in facing him. ‘Borz’ is the latest UFC star to transition to RAF. Others, including his teammate Arman Tsarukyan, have already made the move and stayed active during their UFC hiatus.

Khamzat Chimaev Headlines Star-Studded RAF 10 Card

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dillon Danis will serves as the main event of RAF 10. The placement is significant because the former middleweight champion will be relied upon to generate buzz for the event.

There will be considerable speculation about how Chimaev will perform, considering he just suffered his first career loss in MMA.

RAF 10 features several notable names, especially for MMA fans. In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan faces former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, who will also make his promotional debut. Ferguson has a rode a strong wave of momentum since his UFC exit.

‘El Cucuy’ transitioned to boxing, having won back-to-back fights in Misfits Boxing.

Tsarukyan has been a fixture for RAF and has already competed several times this year. The lightweight contender has remained busy and will also compete against Frankie Edgar at RAF 09. He has not shied away from difficult challenges as he awaits the UFC lightweight title unification bout to unfold.

Aaron Pico will also return to his wrestling roots when he makes his promotional debut against PFL alum Lance Palmer.

High-Profile Matchups on the Horizon for Chimaev?

There will be no shortage of exciting matchups for Chimaev in RAF. He is a massive name in the UFC, so RAF is hoping to capitalize on the added attention the event receives.

Several UFC fighters with wrestling backgrounds have already expressed interest in facing Chimaev in RAF. Some have been more vocal than others.

Bo Nickal and Covington are two potential opponents because of their history with ‘Borz.’ Nickal has remained confident that he would outwrestle Chimaev if they fought in the octagon. So, he may get that chance to prove it in RAF.

Covington, meanwhile, was previously linked to a bout with Chimaev that ultimately failed to materialize. RAF could revisit the matchup, but it would likely require the UFC’s approval.