Former UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev and Jorge Masvidal will meet under grappling rules in the main event of ALF League 1 in Dubai on 4 December. Since losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328, the Chechen fighter has beaten Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns and Dillon Danis at events staged by Real American Freestyle (RAF), a freestyle wrestling league. With a contest against Colby Covington already booked for RAF Abu Dhabi on 14 November, Chimaev faces two grappling bouts in the space of three weeks. A clash of styles. The submission-only format, in which a match can be won only by joint lock or choke, demands exceptional technical mastery.
Masvidal, 41, has not competed in mixed martial arts since April 2023, when he lost to Gilbert Burns. Following a boxing defeat by Nate Diaz in July 2024, the career striker is now preparing for a new challenge against one of the finest wrestlers in the world.
