Chimaev and Burns set for RAF 13 rematch two years after their UFC 273 classic

Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns will renew their rivalry on the freestyle wrestling circuit, with RAF confirming Wednesday that the pair are booked as the co-main event of RAF 13 on September 18 at Watsco Center in Miami.

The two fighters first met at UFC 273 in April 2022, where Chimaev edged Burns by unanimous decision in what proved to be the toughest fight of the Chechen-Swedish star’s career to that point. Entering the bout at 10-0 with every win by knockout or submission, Chimaev was pushed the full distance for the first time before getting the nod.

For Chimaev, RAF 13 will be his third appearance for the promotion in the space of four months. He submitted Dillon Danis at RAF 10 in June and is scheduled to wrestle former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley this Saturday at RAF Moscow. His most recent UFC outing ended in defeat — he dropped the middleweight title to Sean Strickland in May, suffering the first loss of his professional career.

Burns, meanwhile, retired from MMA competition in April after a fifth consecutive defeat, a loss to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg. The former welterweight title challenger indicated at the time that he would keep competing in grappling formats, and he backed that up with an 82-second submission win over Horlando Monteiro at a UFC BJJ event in June. RAF 13 will mark his debut under the promotion’s banner.

The September 18 card is headlined by a cruiserweight crossover title defence, with Colby Covington facing longtime rival Belal Muhammad in the main event.