The upcoming Real American Freestyle (RAF) 10 event, scheduled for June 13th at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, will feature a headline bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis. This event marks Chimaev’s debut with the promotion, which is known for its unscripted freestyle wrestling competitions incorporating notable MMA and grappling personalities. The fight is slated to take place at a catchweight, and the entire card will be available for streaming on Fox Nation.
Chimaev and Danis to Clash at RAF 10
Chimaev enters this contest shortly after his initial professional MMA defeat. He lost his UFC middleweight championship to Sean Strickland via a split decision at UFC 328 on May 9th in Newark. Prior to this loss, Chimaev had secured the title by defeating Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319 in August of the previous year.
The 32-year-old fighter, who represents both Chechnya and Sweden, has a strong background in wrestling, having earned a bronze medal at the junior nationals and winning Swedish freestyle titles in the welterweight and middleweight divisions in 2018. He also holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and maintained an undefeated MMA record of 15-0 with nine first-round finishes before his bout with Strickland.
Dillon Danis brings a distinguished grappling pedigree from a different avenue. The 32-year-old native of New Jersey earned his BJJ black belt at the age of 21 under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia, having begun his training at 15. He is a former Pan No-Gi Championship winner from 2016 and has secured two submission victories in Bellator MMA, his last being in 2019. Danis also claimed the inaugural Misfits MMA light heavyweight title last August with a swift 15-second submission over Warren Spencer. His debut in RAF occurred at RAF 7 in March, where he was defeated by Colby Covington via technical fall with a score of 14-4.
The animosity between Chimaev and Danis has been building for years. Danis has a history of confrontations with individuals associated with Chimaev’s Chechen-Dagestani circle, including an incident with Islam Makhachev’s entourage backstage after UFC 229 in 2018. UFC CEO Dana White previously banned Danis from attending events following a confrontation at UFC 322 in 2025 involving Makhachev’s team. Danis has also previously offered to substitute for Chimaev during a UFC withdrawal, further fueling their rivalry. The choice of Danis as an opponent for Chimaev following his recent UFC loss has already sparked considerable discussion and anticipation for potential online trash talk.
RAF 10 will also feature a strong undercard, including Tony Ferguson facing Arman Tsarukyan in a middleweight co-main event. Other notable matchups include Rizabek Aitmukhan vs. Hayden Zillmer at light heavyweight, Lance Palmer vs. Aaron Pico at lightweight, and Haji Aliyev vs. Sebastian Rivera, also at lightweight.
Chimaev’s signing with RAF last month aligns with the promotion’s strategy to attract well-known figures from the MMA world to its wrestling events. The main event pairing at a larger venue like Chaifetz Arena, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000, is a testament to RAF’s ambition to host significant matchups.
This fight presents an intriguing stylistic clash, pitting Chimaev’s freestyle wrestling strengths against Danis’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expertise within a pure wrestling format. Chimaev’s accomplishments in national wrestling competitions suggest superior control and takedown ability, while Danis’s background emphasizes submission grappling and dynamic ground transitions honed through his tournament career.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dillon Danis Headline RAF 10
The Real American Freestyle (RAF) promotion has announced a headline bout for its RAF 10 event on June 13th in St. Louis, pitting Khamzat Chimaev against Dillon Danis. The fight, scheduled for catchweight, will take place at Chaifetz Arena and will be broadcast live on Fox Nation. This event marks Chimaev’s debut for RAF, a promotion focused on unscripted freestyle wrestling featuring prominent MMA and grappling athletes.
Chimaev is coming off his first professional MMA loss, where he was defeated by Sean Strickland via split decision for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9th. Prior to that, the 32-year-old Chechen-Swedish fighter had amassed a 15-0 MMA record, showcasing his wrestling background and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu proficiency. He had previously won the UFC middleweight belt by defeating Dricus du Plessis.
Dillon Danis, also 32, is a well-regarded grappler with a BJJ black belt earned under Marcelo Garcia. He is a former Pan No-Gi Championship winner and has competed in Bellator MMA. Danis recently secured the Misfits MMA light heavyweight title and participated in his first RAF bout at RAF 7, where he lost to Colby Covington.
The rivalry between Chimaev and Danis has been brewing for years, with Danis having past altercations with individuals connected to Chimaev’s circle. This history, coupled with Danis’s past offers to step in for Chimaev, adds an extra layer of intensity to the matchup.
The RAF 10 card also includes significant fights, such as Tony Ferguson versus Arman Tsarukyan in the co-main event, alongside other matchups in various weight classes. The event represents a move for RAF to larger venues and aims to capitalize on the draw of high-profile fighters from the MMA world transitioning to wrestling.
The contest is anticipated to be a compelling test of contrasting skills, with Chimaev’s wrestling prowess set against Danis’s submission grappling expertise.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dillon Danis Scheduled for RAF 10 Main Event on June 13
Real American Freestyle (RAF) has officially announced that Khamzat Chimaev will face Dillon Danis in the main event of RAF 10 on June 13th at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. This bout signifies Chimaev’s entry into the Real American Freestyle promotion, which hosts unscripted freestyle wrestling events featuring stars from MMA and grappling disciplines. The contest is scheduled for a catchweight, and the event will be streamed live on Fox Nation.
Chimaev enters this wrestling match following his recent first professional MMA loss, a split-decision defeat to Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9th. Before this, the 32-year-old fighter, known for his strong wrestling background and submission skills, had an undefeated MMA record of 15-0.
Dillon Danis, also 32, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has competed in MMA and won grappling titles. He holds a win in Misfits MMA and previously competed in a RAF event, losing to Colby Covington. Danis has a notable history of public disputes with fighters connected to Chimaev’s team, adding a personal dimension to this upcoming encounter.
The RAF 10 event will also feature a stacked undercard, including a co-main event bout between Tony Ferguson and Arman Tsarukyan, among other notable wrestling matchups. The promotion’s strategy of bringing in well-known MMA figures for wrestling competitions is exemplified by this headliner, aiming to draw a large audience to larger venues like the Chaifetz Arena.
The fight is expected to be a compelling display of opposing styles, contrasting Chimaev’s wrestling fundamentals with Danis’s submission-oriented grappling game.
