Khamzat Chimaev has officially signed a contract with the RAF wrestling league. The announcement confirms Chimaev will compete in wrestling competition under the RAF banner. The post asks fans who they would like to see Chimaev face in his wrestling debut. No specific opponents or match dates were revealed in the announcement.
Khamzat Chimaev has officially signed a contract with the RAF wrestling league, adding a competitive wrestling chapter to the career of one of MMA's most feared grapplers. The announcement confirmed Chimaev will compete under the RAF banner, though no opponents or match dates were disclosed. The organization invited fans to weigh in on who they would like to see him face in his wrestling debut.
Chimaev, known as "Borz," carries a 15-1-0 professional MMA record and currently sits as the number-one ranked middleweight in the UFC, as well as number ten in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains out of Allstars Training Center in Sweden, has long been regarded as an elite wrestling practitioner inside the cage. His numbers back that reputation up: he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that ranks among the most dominant in the sport. Fighting out of an orthodox stance at six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, he pairs that grappling output with a striking accuracy of 60 percent and 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's move into organized wrestling competition adds a new competitive dimension outside of MMA for the top-ranked middleweight
- The absence of a named opponent or confirmed date leaves the scope and timeline of his wrestling commitments unclear
- His elite takedown rate and submission activity suggest he transitions into wrestling competition with legitimate credentials, not merely as a promotional exercise
- Fan engagement around opponent selection indicates the RAF league is treating the signing as a marquee addition to its roster
