Chimaev Pins Woodley in 94 Seconds

Khamzat Chimaev needed only 94 seconds to settle his wrestling match with Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow. After scoring twice through push-outs, Chimaev secured a full body lock, drove the former UFC welterweight champion to the mat and pressed both shoulders down for the pin.

The official result is important because the first version of this story described the finish as a technical fall. It was a pinfall at 1:34 of the opening round. Chimaev had a 2-0 lead when he ended the match, so the result came from positional control rather than reaching the point-difference threshold used for a technical fall.

Woodley attempted to initiate the wrestling exchanges, but Chimaev’s size and reactions quickly took over. A single-leg attempt allowed Chimaev to circle behind and attack the ankle before the action was restarted. From there, the repeated push-outs established who was controlling the boundary.

Chimaev turned defense into a fast pin

The opening scramble offered the first sign of the problem facing Woodley. His shot did not create sustained control. Chimaev moved around the attempt, stayed balanced and forced the reset without conceding points. Once they returned to their feet, he began moving Woodley out of the competition area.

Two push-outs made the score 2-0. Woodley tried another entry, but Chimaev stopped it and locked his hands around the body. The position immediately changed the match. Chimaev lifted and returned Woodley to the mat, then stayed connected long enough to expose and secure both shoulders.

A fall ends a freestyle match regardless of the score, which is why the clock stopped at 1:34. Chimaev did not need to accumulate the margin required for a technical victory. His control through the body lock created the decisive condition before Woodley could make the later stages relevant.

That was especially notable because Woodley had spoken about his conditioning before the event. He believed a longer contest could give him opportunities as the pace developed. Chimaev removed that possibility by winning the first meaningful positional battle.

Another RAF win, with another match ahead

The Moscow appearance was Chimaev’s second match for Real American Freestyle. He had pinned Dillon Danis in under a minute in his promotional debut, so the Woodley result gave him two victories and two falls in the format.

Woodley also entered with RAF success after a comeback win over Joaquin Buckley in August. That result made Moscow more than a ceremonial crossover appearance between former UFC champions. Both men had already competed under the rules, but Chimaev’s physical control produced a much shorter contest than Woodley wanted.

Chimaev is scheduled to face Gilbert Burns at RAF 13 on September 18 in Miami. That booking gives the Moscow win an immediate follow-up, although it does not change what happened against Woodley. He scored first, denied the shots and converted the body lock into a pin before two minutes had elapsed.

It is equally important not to treat the result as an MMA victory. No strikes, submissions or cage work were involved, and RAF scoring created choices that would not exist in an Octagon bout. Chimaev excelled at the task he accepted: a freestyle match where boundary control and a fall decide the outcome. Keeping that distinction clear makes the performance more accurate, not less impressive.

• Chimaev defeated Woodley by pinfall at 1:34 of Round 1.
• He led 2-0 after two push-outs before securing the decisive body lock.
• The victory moved Chimaev to 2-0 with two pins in RAF competition.

The speed of the finish made the result look effortless, but the sequence was technically clear. Chimaev denied the first entries, controlled the edge and recognized when the body lock could end the match outright. Moscow produced another dominant RAF performance, this time against an accomplished wrestler who never received the chance to test Chimaev over distance.