Khamzat Chimaev is the latest notable name to join Real American Freestyle, with RAF announcing during RAF 08 in Philadelphia that the UFC middleweight champion has officially signed with the promotion.
The announcement did not include a debut date or opponent, and that part matters. Chimaev is still scheduled to defend his UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, so any RAF appearance would come after that championship fight. RAF is adding him to the roster now, but the actual rollout is still to come.
Watch the announcement below:
The Wolf is coming to RAF. pic.twitter.com/F1niSf7osV
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) April 19, 2026
What gives the signing real weight is Chimaev’s background in the sport. Before he became one of the UFC’s most suffocating fighters, he built a serious freestyle wrestling resume in Sweden after moving there in 2013. Chimaev, who was born in Gvardeyskoye, Chechnya, on May 1, 1994, started wrestling as a child and later developed into a national-level competitor after relocating to Sweden with his family.
Khamzat Chimaev brings real freestyle credentials to RAF
He went on to win three Swedish national freestyle titles, taking gold at 86 kilograms in 2015 and 2016, then winning another title at 92 kilograms in 2018. That wrestling base has never been hidden in his MMA game. It is the engine of it. The pressure, chain takedowns, top control, and the way he can turn elite opponents into passengers all come from that same foundation.
Chimaev is not joining RAF as a retired name looking for one more paycheck. He is joining as an active UFC champion with a title defense already booked. That makes the signing more than a novelty headline for RAF, especially because Chimaev’s freestyle credentials are real and easy to trace.
He currently competes in the UFC as the middleweight champion, and his recent run has only added more shine to this move. He submitted Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, then captured the belt from Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, giving RAF a reigning champion instead of a name trading on old heat.
RAF also pushed the news with a second social post:
SIGNED. pic.twitter.com/3KNwznCGgE
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) April 19, 2026
That is why this deal stands out. Real American Freestyle did not just add a famous UFC fighter. It added a reigning champion with a legitimate wrestling base, real crossover value, and a next fight that already has serious stakes attached. If Chimaev gets through Strickland at UFC 328, RAF will have even more momentum when it finally announces his debut.
