Khamzat Chimaev will look to build on his recent wrestling win over Dillon Danis when he faces Tyron Woodley in Moscow on 5 September. The Russian combatant is stepping into the Real American Freestyle promotion for the second time in two months.
Chimaev, 32, recently made headlines after defeating Danis via pinfall in St Louis, an event that also saw a brawl erupt between the fighters' camps. The result followed his first MMA defeat in May, when Sean Strickland won the UFC middleweight title via a controversial decision.
Woodley, 44, brings a heavy resume to the match, having held the UFC welterweight title from 2016 to 2019. But his UFC career ended with a four-fight losing streak, the first of which came at the hands of Kamaru Usman. Woodley’s most recent bout saw him stop by Anderson Silva in a boxing match on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s win over Jake Paul in December.
This will be Woodley’s first appearance in an RAF match, and the Russian crowd will be behind Chimaev as he defends in front of his home fans. Chimaev has also been linked to a potential rematch with Strickland later this year. The rivalry between Chimaev and Strickland has drawn attention for its intensity.