Khamzat Chimaev Set for Surprise Grappling Match Against Dillon Danis

RAF Wrestling

Khamzat Chimaev Set for Surprise Grappling Match Against Dillon Danis

By KOReporter

|May 12, 2026

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Khamzat Chimaev isn’t wasting any time staying active after losing his UFC title.

Just days after dropping the UFC middleweight belt to Sean Strickland in a razor-close split decision at UFC 328, Chimaev already has his next fight booked, though this one won’t be happening inside the Octagon.

Instead, he’s heading to the grappling mats.

RAF announced Tuesday that former UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev will make his promotional debut in the main event of RAF 10, where he’ll take on Dillon Danis in a catchweight grappling match next month.

That’s… definitely a matchup people will have opinions about.

RAF first signed Chimaev back in April during RAF 8, but the promotion had to wait until his title fight with Strickland played out before officially locking in his debut.

Now that the UFC chapter is temporarily on pause while Chimaev pushes for a rematch, he’s stepping into a completely different kind of spotlight.

And honestly, Dillon Danis remains one of the strangest names in combat sports.

Danis originally built his reputation as a high-level grappler and became widely known through his connection with Conor McGregor as a longtime training partner. At one point, plenty of people viewed him as one of the most dangerous submission specialists around.

Since then, things have gotten weird.

He’s bounced between MMA, boxing circus fights, social media chaos, and general internet trolling, becoming more of a controversy magnet than a serious active competitor.

Danis recently competed at RAF 7, where he faced Colby Covington and lost by technical fall.

Now he gets Chimaev.

That feels like a rough assignment.

Chimaev’s grappling pedigree is obviously elite, and while his immediate focus remains getting his UFC belt back from Strickland, this gives him a chance to stay active, make some noise, and probably maul someone in the process.

The matchup also puts him alongside his friend Arman Tsarukyan, who’s already been involved with the promotion.

RAF 10 takes place June 13 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.

Not exactly the comeback fight most people expected for Chimaev.

But it should be entertaining.