Khamzat Chimaev Just Signed With RAF Wrestling and Dana White Didn't Even Know

The UFC middleweight champion just signed a deal to compete in professional wrestling matches on the side. Three weeks before the biggest fight of his career. And when someone told Dana White about it, his response was "Who signed him to a deal?" followed by the most unenthusiastic "good for them" you've ever heard in your life.

I love this sport lol.

So here's what happened. During the RAF 08 broadcast this past Saturday in Philadelphia, Real American Freestyle announced that Khamzat Chimaev has officially signed with the promotion. No opponent confirmed yet. No date locked in. But the deal is done and Chimaev is expected to make his RAF debut sometime after UFC 328, potentially at RAF 09 in Dallas on May 30 or RAF 10 in St. Louis on June 13.

For context, RAF is the freestyle wrestling promotion that's been blowing up all year. They've had Jones and DC coaching on reality shows, Arman Tsarukyan competing regularly and literally spearing Urijah Faber into the crowd last weekend, Gable Steveson and Chris Weidman debuting soon, and Eric Bischoff from WCW as their Chief Media Officer. The promotion is growing fast and they keep signing bigger names.

And now they have the reigning UFC middleweight champion.

Chimaev will compete at RAF's cruiserweight division, which has a 190 pound weight limit. The current champion there is Kyle Dake, an absolute monster wrestler. Before MMA, Chimaev competed in freestyle wrestling in Sweden and went undefeated across two Swedish National Championships. The man has a legitimate wrestling background, not just MMA grappling. This isn't a celebrity stunt. He can actually wrestle.

But the timing is what makes this whole thing absolutely wild.

The Strickland Fight Is In Three Weeks

UFC 328 is May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev defends the middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event. This is a fight we've been covering since the beef started. The gym blowup. The alleged gun incident. The trash talk that's been building for years. It's one of the most personal title fights the UFC has put together in a long time.

And Chimaev is signing side deals with wrestling promotions three weeks out.

Now look, I'm not saying this is a problem for his camp. Chimaev is 15-0 in MMA. He beat Dricus du Plessis for the belt by dominant decision. He's looked like a different animal at middleweight compared to his welterweight days. The man clearly knows what he's doing with his career.

But signing with RAF right before a title defense sends a message. It's Chimaev telling the world that fighting Strickland isn't stressing him out enough to clear his calendar. He's already planning what comes AFTER the fight before the fight even happens. That's either supreme confidence or the kind of thing that ages terribly if Strickland catches him on May 9.

Dana's Reaction Was Hilarious

After UFC Winnipeg last Saturday, someone asked Dana White about Chimaev signing with RAF. His response was genuinely one of the funniest things a CEO has ever said about his own champion.

"Who signed him to a deal?" was the first thing Dana said. Like he didn't even know it happened. Then he followed up with "Oh yeah, okay. Good for them. I hope it works out for them, yeah."

That's a man who does not care. Or a man who does care and is pretending not to. Either way, it's classic Dana. The UFC has generally been okay with fighters doing wrestling and grappling events on the side because it keeps them active and it's not full contact. But there's a difference between a ranked contender doing some RAF matches while waiting for a fight and the CHAMPION signing a deal with a competing promotion three weeks before defending his belt.

The UFC has already blocked some matchups in RAF, like Tsarukyan vs Colby Covington, because they don't want active UFC fighters competing against each other outside the octagon. So there are limits to how "okay" they are with all this. And when your middleweight champion is the one doing it, the conversation changes.

Bo Nickal Already Called Him Out

Because of course he did. The second the RAF announcement went out, Bo Nickal posted on X saying he wants the wrestling match with Chimaev. "Khamzat signing with RAF. That is very exciting. Let's run it."

Nickal and Chimaev have been going back and forth for a while. Bo Nickal left Chimaev off his top three MMA wrestlers list, then said he'd "ragdoll" and "throw around" Chimaev if they ever fought. That's a bold claim from a guy who hasn't cracked the UFC's top 10 yet, but Nickal's wrestling credentials are genuinely elite. Three time NCAA champion. The man can wrestle.

The problem is the UFC rule. Active UFC fighters can't compete against each other in other promotions. So unless the UFC gives RAF a special exception, Nickal vs Chimaev on the mats isn't happening. But the call out is smart because it keeps Nickal's name attached to Chimaev's, and if Chimaev ever loses the belt, the UFC rule goes away and the RAF match becomes possible.

What This Really Tells You About Chimaev

Okay here's the part I actually find interesting about all of this. Chimaev just told the world this week that his biggest money comes from OUTSIDE the octagon, not from fighting. That lines up with everything Rousey has been saying about the UFC being the worst place to make money in combat sports. The CHAMPION is confirming what every former champion has been saying for months.

And now that same champion is signing deals with other promotions to diversify his income while he's still at the top. That's not a guy who's disrespecting his UFC title. That's a guy who's smart enough to know that the belt doesn't pay what it should and he needs to build revenue streams while he has leverage.

Tsarukyan has been the blueprint for this. He used RAF to stay active, build his brand, grow his social media, and become one of the most popular fighters in the world, all while waiting for the UFC to give him a fight. Chimaev watched his teammate do that and said "yeah I want some of that too."

If the UFC's own champions are signing with other promotions to make money on the side, that's not a fighter problem. That's a compensation problem. And it's only going to get louder as RAF keeps growing.

What Happens Next

Chimaev fights Strickland on May 9 at UFC 328. If he wins, his RAF debut likely happens at RAF 09 in Dallas on May 30 or RAF 10 in St. Louis on June 13 at the cruiserweight division. If he loses, the RAF debut probably still happens but the conversation around it changes from "the champion is branching out" to "the former champion needs somewhere to compete."

Either way, Chimaev wrestling on RAF is good for the sport. More eyes on wrestling. More eyes on Chimaev. More revenue streams for fighters. And honestly it's gonna be fun watching a UFC champion compete in pure freestyle wrestling against guys who've been doing it their entire lives.

But first he has to handle Strickland. And if I'm being honest, the fact that he's already planning his post fight schedule three weeks out is either the most confident thing a champion has ever done or the exact kind of distraction that makes a loss hit twice as hard.

We'll find out May 9.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

What promotion did Khamzat Chimaev sign with?

Chimaev signed with Real American Freestyle (RAF), a professional freestyle wrestling promotion. The deal was announced during the RAF 08 broadcast on April 18, 2026 in Philadelphia. No opponent or specific debut date has been confirmed yet.

When does Chimaev fight Sean Strickland?

Chimaev defends the UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It's his first title defense since beating Dricus du Plessis.

What division will Chimaev compete in at RAF?

Chimaev will compete at RAF's cruiserweight division, which has a 190 pound weight limit. The current RAF cruiserweight champion is Kyle Dake, a four time NCAA champion.

Does Chimaev have a wrestling background?

Yes. Before his MMA career, Chimaev competed in freestyle wrestling in Sweden and went undefeated across two Swedish Freestyle National Championships. He relocated to Sweden from Chechnya and built his wrestling foundation there before transitioning to MMA.

What was Dana White's reaction to the signing?

White appeared unaware of the deal when asked about it after UFC Winnipeg. He responded with "Who signed him to a deal?" and then added "Good for them. I hope it works out for them, yeah."

Did Bo Nickal call out Chimaev for a wrestling match?

Yes. Bo Nickal posted on X immediately after the announcement saying he wants the match. However, UFC rules currently prevent active UFC fighters from competing against each other in other promotions, which would block the matchup.

What is RAF wrestling?

Real American Freestyle is a professional freestyle wrestling promotion with Eric Bischoff as its Chief Media Officer. The promotion has signed several UFC stars including Arman Tsarukyan, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Gable Steveson, and Chris Weidman. Upcoming events include RAF 09 in Dallas on May 30 and RAF 10 in St. Louis on June 13.