The RAF wrestling league has officially announced the signing of UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev. This marks Chimaev's entry into the professional wrestling competition circuit alongside his MMA career. The announcement came shortly after the RAF08 event concluded. Bo Nickal immediately reacted to the news by challenging Chimaev for the championship. No specific details about Chimaev's debut match or timeline were provided in the initial announcement.
Khamzat "Borz" Chimaev has added professional wrestling to his combat sports portfolio, with the RAF wrestling league officially announcing his signing following the conclusion of the RAF08 event on April 19, 2026.
Chimaev, 32, enters the RAF league as one of the most decorated grapplers in MMA. The UFC middleweight contender holds a 15-1-0 professional record and sits ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound standings. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, Chimaev has built his MMA reputation on a suffocating wrestling-based game, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute at 60 percent accuracy. That combination of offensive wrestling and striking volume has made him one of the most feared fighters on the UFC roster.
The signing drew an immediate response from fellow UFC fighter Bo Nickal, who called out Chimaev for the league championship shortly after the announcement was made public. No debut date, opponent, or further schedule details were included in the initial RAF announcement.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's elite takedown output and grappling credentials make him a credible threat in competitive wrestling, not merely a celebrity addition to the roster.
- Nickal's immediate championship callout raises the prospect of a high-profile crossover matchup between two of MMA's most accomplished wrestlers.
- How Chimaev balances a professional wrestling schedule alongside his UFC middleweight commitments remains an open question, with no timeline yet confirmed.
