Despite his chaotic clash with Khamzat Chimaev at RAF 10, it appears Dillon Danis will get another opportunity under the Real American Freestyle banner.
Danis and Chimaev squared off in the main event of RAF 10 in St. Louis back in June. Chimaev secured a pinfall victory, but the match quickly descended into chaos. During the exchange, Danis appeared to be working for a jiu-jitsu choke before the match was stopped.
While on his back, Dillon Danis threw a kick toward Chimaev. “Borz” immediately responded with a kick of his own, sparking a massive brawl as members of both camps stormed the mat. The incident instantly became one of the most talked-about moments in RAF history.
Given Danis’ reputation for controversy, many wondered if the promotion would take disciplinary action. However, RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein revealed that the former Bellator fighter remains welcome in the organization.
“Yeah, you’ll see Dillon Danis back in RAF,” Bronstein told MMA Fighting. “I don’t need to ban Dillon because we stepped in. I’ll tell you this about Dillon, and I work with Dillon, I’ve worked with Dillon behind the scenes a lot. So has Izzy, and so has our team, and he’s very respectful to everybody in our organization, but we did have to deal with certain things with him.
“But I’m not going to say I’m banning him and that we won’t see him on the stage, because I do think he’ll be back eventually. And, again, for wrestling and everything that he’s done with us, he’s been nothing but respectful in our organization. Now, the brawl was something we don’t ever want, which he knows, and we’ve had that conversation, but I do think we’ll see Dillon Danis back eventually.”
While Dillon Danis often makes headlines for his antics, Bronstein emphasized that the 31-year-old has consistently shown respect behind the scenes. According to the RAF executive, the promotion addressed the incident internally and has no plans to prohibit Danis from competing again.
Danis has built a reputation as one of combat sports’ most polarizing figures. From his disqualification loss to Logan Paul in boxing to multiple confrontations throughout his career, controversy has frequently followed him. The altercation with Chimaev only added another chapter to that story.
As for Chimaev, his RAF future is already set. The undefeated UFC star is scheduled to return on Sept. 5 in Moscow, where he will face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the event’s main event.
Bronstein also revealed that fans can expect to see much more of Chimaev before the end of the year.
“He’s also going to have an active run,” Bronstein said. “He’ll be wrestling a couple times before the end of the year.
“I’m excited about it. When he walked out the one time he showed up, it felt like the reinvented Undertaker walkout. It’s probably one of the best walkouts I’ve seen, and compliments to Eric Bischoff and James and that team when they did that, but it was just unbelievable. So I’m personally excited to watch him again because I like watching him wrestle and I like watching him compete and he’s a great professional, so we’re looking forward to it.”
For now, Dillon Danis remains without a confirmed date for his RAF return. Still, despite the ugly scenes that unfolded against Chimaev, the promotion appears willing to give him another shot on the mat rather than close the door on him for good.
Danis currently holds two losses under the RAF banner, including his defeat to Chimaev and a previous loss to Colby Covington in March.
