The highly anticipated matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis has been confirmed as the main event for Real American Freestyle (RAF) 10. The event is scheduled to take place on June 13th at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. This contest will mark Chimaev’s debut in the Real American Freestyle promotion, which is known for its unscripted freestyle wrestling events featuring stars from mixed martial arts and grappling.
Both Chimaev and Danis will compete at a catchweight. The entire card will be available for streaming live on Fox Nation.
Chimaev vs. Danis Announced for St. Louis Card
This bout comes shortly after Chimaev’s first professional loss in MMA. He recently relinquished his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland via a split decision at UFC 328 on May 9th in Newark. Prior to this defeat, Chimaev had secured the championship by defeating Dricus du Plessis with a unanimous decision at UFC 319 last August.
The 32-year-old fighter, of Chechen-Swedish origin, built his reputation on a strong wrestling background, having achieved a bronze medal at the junior nationals and winning Swedish freestyle titles in both welterweight and middleweight divisions in 2018. He also holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and maintained an undefeated 15-0 record in MMA, with nine of those wins coming by first-round finishes before his fight with Strickland.
Dillon Danis brings a different set of grappling credentials to the ring. 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 also the 2016 Pan No-Gi Championship winner and secured two submission victories during his time in Bellator MMA, with his last appearance being in 2019. Last August, Danis claimed the inaugural Misfits MMA light heavyweight title by submitting Warren Spencer in just 15 seconds. His debut in the RAF promotion occurred at RAF 7 in March, where he was defeated by Colby Covington via a 14-4 technical fall.
A long-standing animosity exists between Chimaev and Danis, with their rivalry stemming from years of public exchanges. Danis has a history of confrontations with individuals associated with Chimaev’s Chechen-Dagestani circle, including a backstage incident with Islam Makhachev’s team following UFC 229 in 2018. UFC President Dana White had previously banned Danis from attending events after an altercation at UFC 322 in 2025 that involved Makhachev’s team. The tension was further fueled when Danis once offered to replace Chimaev during a UFC withdrawal. The current matchup has already sparked online discussions among fans, with some criticizing Chimaev for choosing Danis as his opponent following his recent UFC loss.
RAF 10 also features a compelling undercard. In the co-main event, Tony Ferguson will face Arman Tsarukyan in a middleweight bout. Other featured fights 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 signed with RAF last month, aligning with the promotion’s recent expansion and its success in attracting prominent MMA figures to their wrestling events. This main event fits perfectly with RAF’s strategy to host events in larger venues like Chaifetz Arena, which has a seating capacity of approximately 10,000.
The upcoming fight will serve as a test of Chimaev’s freestyle wrestling prowess against Danis’s BJJ expertise within a pure wrestling format. Chimaev’s background includes national wrestling titles, showcasing his throwing and control abilities, while Danis relies on his submission game developed through extensive tournament experience.