Retired UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will make his Real American Freestyle debut next month, facing former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev in a catchweight bout at RAF 14 on Oct. 23 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Lawler, 44, last competed in MMA in 2023 and was an all-state high school wrestler before turning professional fighter, though he never wrestled competitively beyond that level. Chimaev, a three-time Swedish national wrestling champion, enters the bout 2-0 in RAF following fall victories over Dillon Danis and Tyron Woodley. The card is headlined by an RAF title bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Dillon Danis.
Robbie Lawler is stepping onto the mat. The retired UFC welterweight champion will make his Real American Freestyle debut next month, taking on Khamzat Chimaev in a catchweight bout at RAF 14, scheduled for October 23 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
Lawler, nicknamed "Ruthless," is 44 years old and carries a professional MMA record of 30 wins and 16 losses accumulated over a career that produced one of the sport's most celebrated welterweight title reigns. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 74-inch reach, the southpaw last competed in MMA in 2023. His wrestling background dates to high school, where he earned all-state honors, though he never pursued competitive wrestling beyond that level. The transition to Real American Freestyle — a grappling-based format — represents genuinely new competitive territory for him.
Chimaev, by contrast, arrives as an established force in the format. The 32-year-old, competing out of the United Arab Emirates under the banner of Allstars Training Center, holds a 15-1-0 MMA record and is currently ranked number one in the UFC middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. A three-time Swedish national wrestling champion, he is 2-0 in RAF with victories over Dillon Danis and Tyron Woodley. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition — a figure that underscores why wrestling is his native language.
Why it matters
- Lawler's all-state wrestling pedigree gives him a credible foundation, but Chimaev's three national titles represent a significant step up in competitive grappling credentials.
- The bout is set at catchweight, removing any divisional ranking implications for either fighter.
- RAF 14's main event pits Arman Tsarukyan against Dillon Danis for an RAF title, meaning the Lawler-Chimaev matchup anchors what is shaping up as a high-profile card at one of Las Vegas's newest major venues.
