Khamzat Chimaev Set for Burns RAF Rematch

Khamzat Chimaev is set to renew his rivalry with Gilbert Burns, but their next meeting will take place in a different competitive setting. Real American Freestyle has booked Chimaev against Burns for the catchweight co-main event of RAF 13, scheduled for Sept. 18 at Watsco Center in Miami. The announcement gives Chimaev a return date against an opponent with whom he already shares a demanding UFC history, while shifting the contest from mixed martial arts to the wrestling mats.

Chimaev previously defeated Burns by unanimous decision at UFC 273 in 2022, according to the RAF 13 announcement reported by MMA Fighting. At that point, Chimaev was 10-0 as a professional and every one of his victories had come by knockout or submission. Burns therefore represented a markedly different kind of test: the fight went to the judges, and the source described it as a hotly contested contest. That history is the essential context for RAF 13. The new booking is not simply another appearance for Chimaev; it is a chance to revisit a familiar matchup under a catchweight wrestling format, where the tools available to both men will be different from their UFC encounter.

Chimaev’s busy RAF schedule

The Burns booking is set to be Chimaev’s third RAF appearance in four months. He defeated Dillon Danis at RAF 10 in June, then was scheduled to face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the RAF Moscow main event before the Sept. 18 date with Burns. The sequence places Chimaev in consecutive high-profile wrestling assignments and makes RAF 13 part of an active stretch rather than a one-off crossover appearance.

That timeline also explains why the Burns rematch carries a clear event role. Chimaev is not being announced for the RAF 13 main event; he and Burns are listed as the co-main event of the Miami card. The main event is a crossover cruiserweight championship bout in which Colby Covington defends against Belal Muhammad. For Chimaev, the co-main placement still puts his prior UFC rivalry at the center of the card’s supporting attractions. It also provides a defined contrast with his earlier fight against Burns: their first meeting was an MMA bout decided by judges, while this one has been announced specifically for RAF’s wrestling mats. The source does not establish the match rules beyond its catchweight designation, so the significance is the confirmed format change rather than any prediction about how it will affect the result.

Why the Burns rematch has context

Burns enters RAF 13 with a recent grappling result of his own. He retired from MMA competition in April after a loss to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg, but said he would continue competing in grappling. In June, Burns submitted Horlando Monteiro in 82 seconds at a UFC BJJ event. RAF 13 will be Burns’ first competition under the RAF banner. Those details give the announcement a fuller sporting frame: Chimaev arrives during a run of RAF activity, while Burns arrives after remaining active in a grappling setting following his MMA retirement. The rematch also has a straightforward narrative foundation that does not require speculation. Chimaev won the first fight, yet Burns took him the distance in a contest described as hotly contested. RAF now has a recognizable pairing with established history, but the promotion has moved it into a wrestling event and labeled it catchweight. What happens on Sept. 18 remains to be decided; the confirmed news is that Chimaev will face Burns again in Miami after his scheduled RAF Moscow appearance.

• Chimaev is booked to face Gilbert Burns in the catchweight co-main event of RAF 13 on Sept. 18.
• Chimaev defeated Burns by unanimous decision at UFC 273 in 2022 before the rivalry was booked for a wrestling rematch.

Chimaev’s RAF 13 assignment brings a significant UFC rivalry back into view without presenting it as the same kind of contest. The date, location and co-main-event position are confirmed, as is the catchweight wrestling format. With a scheduled match against Woodley preceding it, Chimaev’s meeting with Burns stands as the next major stop in his current run on the RAF mats.