Olympic Champion vs UFC Champion? Kyle Snyder Teases Khamzat Chimaev Matchup After RAF Announcement

UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev finally signs with Real American Freestyle and is called out by an Olympian.

Olympic Champion vs UFC Champion? Kyle Snyder Teases Khamzat Chimaev Matchup After RAF Announcement

Kyle Snyder calls out Khamzat Chimaev (via Instagram, MMA Fighting)

In Short
  • Kyle Snyder has expressed interest in a wrestling match against newly signed RAF champion Khamzat Chimaev.
  • Chimaev's signing with Real American Freestyle was announced during the RAF 08 event, drawing significant attention.
  • Snyder has already made an impact in RAF, winning and defending the light heavyweight title in recent matches.

Real American Freestyle has surged into the spotlight as a major force in combat sports. Led by Chad Bronstein and Eric Bischoff, its rise was underscored by signing UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. He is regarded as one of the most dangerous wrestlers in MMA. Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder has already put his name forward as a potential first opponent for the Chechen champion.

Snyder is one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers of his era. He won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and silver at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the 97 kg division. Snyder is also a multiple-time world champion, with titles in 2015, 2017, and 2022, and has consistently medaled at the highest level. He further built his wrestling resume with multiple NCAA championships at Ohio State, establishing dominance.

Snyder has already made a strong impact under the Real American Freestyle banner, debuting at RAF 07 in March, where he defeated Akhmed Tazhudinov to win the RAF light heavyweight title. He then defended it at RAF 08 against Rizabek Aitmukhan, reinforcing his dominance. During the press conference, while Bronstein was taking questions, a reporter asked Snyder if he could take on Chimaev.

Let’s give him a couple of matches first, not that he’s gotta earn the spot but just having a couple wrestling matches underneath of him will be good and then if he ever wants to compete against me I mean, I am always ready. So, anytime.

Kyle Snyder via RAF 08 press conference

Chimaev’s signing to RAF was officially announced during the live broadcast of RAF 08, shifting attention mid-event. The show was headlined by his teammate Arman Tsarukyan, who defeated Urijah Faber in the main event. A surprise video package confirmed Chimaev’s arrival in RAF, featuring a striking wolf visual tied to his nickname ‘Borz’, meaning wolf in Russian, reinforcing his intimidating presence.

The announcement itself was not entirely unexpected, as Chimaev had already been hinting at a move to RAF in the weeks leading up to RAF 08. His intentions became clearer during his response to Colby Covington, who was publicly trash-talking him. ‘Borz’ fired back by promising he would eventually face Covington in RAF, vowing to humble and defeat the controversial UFC star in the next RAF event.

Khamzat Chimaev looks like a natural fit for Real American Freestyle given his elite wrestling base and pressure-heavy grappling style. He is widely regarded as one of the most dominant wrestlers in the UFC, a reputation strengthened by his UFC 319 win over Dricus Du Plessis. However, the Chechen champion is currently focused on preparing for his upcoming title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

Arman Tsarukyan is helping Khamzat Chimaev in every aspect ahead of UFC 328

Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev have developed a close friendship in recent times, regularly supporting each other during key fights and training camps. Tsarukyan was in Chimaev’s corner for his dominant championship win at UFC 319, playing a visible role in his team. In return, Chimaev cornered the Armenian star during his UFC comeback against Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar in November 2025.

Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev
Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev (via Instagram)

As Chimaev prepares to face Sean Strickland at UFC 328, questions have been raised about whether Strickland’s unorthodox striking could disrupt Chimaev’s rhythm and cause an upset, given his awkward timing and difficult-to-read volume. At the same time, Tsarukyan has been training alongside Chimaev for weeks and was recently seen studying Strickland’s fight footage while ‘Borz’ continued his own training.

Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan have been training between Santo Studio in Newport Beach and Treigning Labs under renowned conditioning coach Sam Calavitta. The two remain closely knit throughout the process, combining the Armenian lightweight contender’s analytical input with Chimaev’s physical intensity ahead of the major test at the Prudential Center on May 9th.

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