Khamzat Chimaev’s next bout is set for September, with Tyron Woodley on the card for RAF’s Russia homecoming

Khamzat Chimaev’s next competitive appearance has been made official, and it comes with an unusual twist for fans who have followed his UFC run: the former UFC middleweight champion is scheduled to face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in a wrestling match in September.

The matchup is tied to Real American Freestyle, the promotion associated with Chimaev and the wider RAF brand. The event is positioned as a Russia “homecoming,” giving Chimaev a stage in his home region while he navigates what comes next after his most recent title-ending loss.

Chimaev’s situation matters because his UFC middleweight run was derailed in May when he lost the division’s title to Sean Strickland. That defeat set the terms for his next decision path, and it now appears he is choosing a non-UFC-style competition to keep momentum while the UFC heavyweight of opportunity settles into place.

Woodley, a longtime UFC standout and former champion, brings a different set of credentials to the matchup. Rather than a traditional UFC bout framework, the fight is described as a wrestling match, aligning with the style of RAF events and the grappling emphasis that has been a throughline in how Chimaev has built his reputation.

The September date and the RAF setting also highlight the broader strategy at work around Chimaev. While the UFC remains the sport’s most prominent platform, Chimaev has continued to treat RAF as an avenue for big-match storytelling and for extending his brand beyond a single rule set. A Russia-based show adds another layer, because it is not just a new opponent, it is a setting meant to broaden his audience where he has deep personal ties.

For Woodley, the matchup offers a chance to meet Chimaev in a format tailored to wrestling and control rather than relying solely on striking. Even for fans who remember Woodley primarily for his UFC championship chapter, the RAF framing matters because it underscores a grappling-first approach to the confrontation.

The immediate watch point is how the pairing looks under RAF’s rules and how both fighters manage the transition between their established skill sets and the wrestling match format. For Chimaev specifically, observers will be watching whether the bout functions as a statement of renewed dominance, a test of adaptability after the May title loss, or a bridge toward a return to the UFC’s middleweight storyline.

With the September RAF event now confirmed, the next question becomes whether it settles any debates about Chimaev’s trajectory in MMA, or whether it simply prolongs the “in-between” phase: big-name matchups outside the UFC while the champion’s ecosystem refills behind him. Either way, the Chimaev-Woodley collision is positioned as a major crossover moment that could draw attention from both MMA and wrestling-focused audiences.