Khamzat Chimaev has officially signed a contract with the RAF wrestling league. The announcement did not provide details about when Chimaev will compete or against whom his first match might be. RAF is a wrestling promotion separate from MMA competition. The post asked fans who they would like to see Chimaev face in a wrestling match. No timeline or additional terms of the contract were disclosed in this brief announcement.
Khamzat "Borz" Chimaev has added a new competitive outlet to his resume, officially signing a contract with RAF, a professional wrestling promotion separate from MMA.
The announcement offered few specifics, disclosing neither a timeline for his debut nor a potential opponent. The promotion instead invited fans to weigh in on who they would like to see Chimaev face in a wrestling match, suggesting his first booking remains undetermined.
Chimaev, 32, is currently ranked first in the UFC middleweight division and sits at number ten in the pound-for-pound rankings, carrying a professional MMA record of 15-1-0. Born in Sweden and now representing the United Arab Emirates, he trains out of Allstars Training Center in Stockholm. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev has built his reputation on an aggressive, smothering style that blends elite grappling with heavy striking. He averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 60 percent, numbers that reflect just how complete his skillset has become at the highest level of the sport.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's grappling pedigree makes the move to a wrestling promotion a natural extension of his combat sports career rather than a departure from it.
- His name recognition as the top-ranked UFC middleweight gives RAF considerable promotional value from the signing.
- The open call for fan-suggested opponents indicates the promotion is building interest before confirming any match, leaving the competitive stakes of his wrestling debut undefined for now.
