Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan physically attacked Dillon Danis at the RAF 14 press conference in Las Vegas. The altercation broke out during the event's media appearance.
Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan physically attacked Dillon Danis during the RAF 14 press conference in Las Vegas, with the altercation breaking out during the event's media appearance, MMA Fighting reported. Details of how the confrontation started and how long it lasted were not part of the initial report.
Chimaev, 32, is the No. 1 ranked middleweight and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, he holds a 15-1 record. His most recent recorded fight was a split-decision loss to Sean Strickland in a title bout at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, which followed a unanimous-decision title win over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025. He lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy and averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Tsarukyan, 30, is the No. 2 lightweight and trains at American Top Team. He brings a 24-3 record into the story and is on a win streak that includes a first-round KO/TKO of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, his most recent recorded fight. Before that he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round in November 2025 and beat Charles Oliveira by split decision at UFC 300. He lands 3.78 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Both fighters are active UFC contenders, so any fallout from the incident could draw attention beyond the RAF event itself.
- Chimaev stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, while Tsarukyan is five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, a height gap of five inches between the two men who were involved.
- Tsarukyan's knockout of Ruffy came just over a month before the press conference, so he arrived in Las Vegas on a fresh win.
The report does not say whether security intervened, whether anyone was injured, or whether any action has been taken against those involved. No official statement from the promotion or the fighters was included in the initial report.
