Former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is wasting no time getting back into competition.
Just days after dropping a split decision to Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event, Chimaev has already booked his next appearance. “Borz” is set to face Dillon Danis at RAF 10 on June 13 in St. Louis, Missouri.
The matchup will take place under the Real American Freestyle banner. The event is scheduled to stream exclusively on FOX Nation.
Many Marvel at his Fast Return
Chimaev’s quick turnaround raised eyebrows across the MMA community. The former UFC titleholder went five hard rounds with Strickland in Newark only days ago. His decision to compete again so soon suggests he avoided any major injuries in that fight.
Danis enters the matchup looking for another opportunity to stay relevant in combat sports headlines. The former Bellator welterweight has remained a polarizing figure despite limited activity in recent years.
Fans on Twitter were not amused:
“Anything less than NoBickal is disappointing”.
“Dillon in RAF makes no sense. They need to be doing submission grappling”
“So dumb. Danis got worked by colby so you give him chimaev in wrestling only?”
Chimaev Called out Olympians, but Dillon Danis is not even an Amateur Wrestler!
Upon signing at RAF, Chimaev initiated a challenge on Twitter, offering $200,000 to any Olympic champion who could “survive” a sparring session with him, which was largely seen as a response to calls from the wrestling community.
Despite the bravado, Chimaev stated he was not interested in wrestling elite Olympic champions like Kyle Snyder, arguing that if he wanted to do that, he would have gone to the Olympics.
Tony Ferguson, Arman Tsarukyan Also Added to RAF 10
RAF 10 is building a recognizable lineup filled with MMA veterans and high-profile names.
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is also scheduled for the card. “El Cucuy” will meet current UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan in another featured matchup.
Tsarukyan has become a familiar name on recent RAF cards as the promotion continues blending wrestling formats with established MMA talent.
Elsewhere on the card, former PFL standout Lance Palmer is expected to face Aaron Pico.
More announcements for RAF 10 are expected in the coming days as the June 13 event approaches.
My take: This match will be a horrible mismatch! Dillon Danis is a good BJJ specialist, but he has no chance versus a huge wrestler like Chimaev.
How do you see this match going?