“Borz” is taking his talents back to the mats.
During RAF 08 tonight (Sat., April 18, 2026) inside Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Real American Freestyle (RAF) announced that current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has officially signed with the promotion.
Chimaev’s debut opponent — and the specific event he’ll compete on — will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The timing is interesting.
Chimaev is less than a month away
from his first UFC title defense against heated rival Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, meaning his RAF debut will come later this year once his championship obligations are handled.
Check out the announcement below:
Before he was rag-dolling contenders inside the Octagon, Chimaev was doing the same thing on the wrestling scene.
After relocating to Sweden, he developed his game at clubs like BK Athen and quickly turned into a national force. Chimaev captured three straight Swedish Freestyle National Championships — winning gold at 86kg in 2016 and 2017 before moving up to claim the 92kg title in 2018.
And he didn’t just win, he dominated.
Across those three tournaments, Chimaev went a perfect 12-0 with a combined score of 105-2, racking up seven technical falls and three pins. The suffocating, mauling style fans see in MMA today was already fully formed.
Wrestling may be his foundation, but Chimaev also sharpened his skills in judo and combat sambo during his rise.
Now, with RAF adding one of the most dominant grapplers in MMA, Chimaev’s opponent possibilities get very interesting — whether it’s fellow UFC names crossing over or high-level NCAA champions
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