The RAF wrestling league officially announced the signing of Khamzat Chimaev to their organization. This represents an expansion of Chimaev's combat sports portfolio beyond MMA into competitive wrestling. The RAF league has been making high-profile signings to build its roster and credibility. Following the announcement, Bo Nickal immediately responded by challenging Chimaev, referring to him as champion, suggesting Chimaev may have signed on to compete for or already holds a championship position. The move indicates Chimaev's continued interest in grappling-based competition alongside his MMA career. Details about the specific terms of the contract or when Chimaev will compete for RAF were not provided in the announcement.
Khamzat Chimaev has taken a step outside the MMA cage, with the RAF wrestling league officially announcing the signing of the middleweight contender to their organization. The move adds a competitive wrestling chapter to Chimaev's combat sports career, though specific contract terms and a competition timeline were not disclosed alongside the announcement.
Chimaev, known by the nickname Borz, carries a 15-1 record and is ranked first in the UFC middleweight division as well as tenth in the pound-for-pound standings. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains out of Allstars Training Center, stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. His grappling credentials inside the Octagon are well established, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute, making the transition to a wrestling platform a natural fit.
The announcement drew an immediate response from Bo Nickal, the American Top Team Happy Valley product who publicly challenged Chimaev and referred to him as champion, implying Chimaev has signed into a title-level role within the RAF organization. Nickal holds a 9-1 record and fights out of the United States as a southpaw standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. The 30-year-old is a highly credentialed wrestler in his own right, averaging 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes in MMA competition, with a striking accuracy of 61 percent.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's RAF signing expands his competitive profile beyond MMA into organized wrestling, raising his visibility across combat sports audiences.
- Nickal's immediate public challenge sets up a potential marquee matchup between two of MMA's most decorated grapplers on a wrestling platform.
- Both fighters are active in the UFC middleweight division, meaning any rivalry built in RAF could carry added stakes back into the Octagon.
