Khamzat Chimaev’s return in jeopardy as US presidential order threatens RAF Moscow event

The former UFC middleweight champion is scheduled to make his competitive return in Russia.

Khamzat Chimaev last competed inside the Octagon at UFC 328 in May, where Newark was the site of his reign’s unexpected conclusion.

After Chimaev was beaten by Sean Strickland in a huge upset at 185 pounds, he made a quick turnaround to defeat Dillon Danis in his Real American Freestyle debut.

His second match in the new wrestling organization was soon announced, but a problem regarding that bout has arisen.

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Khamzat Chimaev’s RAF Moscow event ‘likely violates’ United States sanctions on Russia

Chimaev is scheduled to wrestle Tyron Woodley, a fellow former UFC champion, in the main event of RAF Moscow on September 5.

The event will mark the promotion’s second outside of the United States and very first in Russia. RAF went overseas for the first time with a card in Georgia in July, headlined by Merab Dvalishvili beating Henry Cejudo.

But according to a recent report from ESPN, the planned RAF card in Moscow “likely violates” sanctions put on Russia by the United States government.

The event, which also includes matches featuring former three-division MMA champion Anatoly Malykhin and Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder, is set to take place at the VTB Arena. That venue is owned and named after VTB Bank, which is owned for the most part by the Russian government.

The arena’s website lists that the stadium complex is owned by VTB Arena LLC. The ESPN report details how that is a subsidiary of BM-Bank, per financial disclosures.

Both BM-Bank and VTB Bank are under US sanctions that prohibit American individuals and companies from doing business with them except under specific circumstances approved by the Department of the Treasury.

While Real American Freestyle declined to comment when approached by ESPN about the alleged breach of sanctions, a Fox News spokesperson apparently revealed that Fox Nation “will not be streaming the Moscow episode of Real American Freestyle.”

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The report goes on to note that two “policy experts” confirmed the planned card in Moscow likely violates sanctions placed by a presidential order. They have been put in place to punish Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

And the event is also now receiving pushback from political figures in the United States. The representative for Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district since 2017, Don Bacon, called for a change of location on social media.

“I urge that this event not be held in Russia,” he wrote on X.

“Under Putin, Russia is a pariah state that is committing war crimes every day. Every Russian should know that the free world disdains Putin and his bombings of innocent civilians.”