Chimaev dismantles Hall of Famer Weidman by technical fall in RAF Abu Dhabi main event

Khamzat Chimaev extended his unbeaten run in RAF with a 10-0 technical fall victory over UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman in the main event of RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, stepping in on short notice after original opponent Colby Covington withdrew through injury.

Chimaev wasted little time asserting control, building a 5-0 lead in the first period through a takedown and a series of turns that Weidman had no answer for. To his credit, the former UFC middleweight champion made Chimaev work for every position and kept the match competitive heading into the second period.

The decisive moment arrived when Weidman attempted a slide-by on the restart, only for Chimaev to reverse positions and earn a four-point score. Weidman’s corner immediately issued a challenge, but the ruling was upheld — awarding Chimaev an additional point and pushing the score to 10-0, triggering the technical fall finish.

“It feels good, it feels amazing,” Chimaev said after the bout. “Anyone who wants to wrestle or fight, grapple, it doesn’t matter. I’m always ready.”

The performance underlined just how dangerous Chimaev is on the wrestling mats, where his combination of explosive takedowns and relentless top pressure has yet to find a credible counter in RAF competition. Having now gone undefeated since joining the promotion, attention will quickly turn to rescheduling the Covington matchup once the American has recovered sufficiently to compete.