First career loss hasn’t dulled the fire in Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechen native made his RAF debut on Saturday, June 13, 2026, against Dillon Danis at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. While the former UFC middleweight champion secured a lightning-fast pinfall victory, the bout descended into chaos seconds after, and a brawl erupted on stage. 

As soon as the fight began, Chimaev quickly secured a takedown and rolled Danis onto his back, with both of Dillon Danis‘ shoulders touching the mat. The referee immediately stepped in and stopped the contest. As Chimaev got to his feet, he shoved Danis while he was still on the mat. Danis responded with a kick, prompting Chimaev to kick back.

The referee attempted to restrain Chimaev, but members of both camps rushed onto the mat, triggering a chaotic brawl. Event security also became involved as they worked to restore order. Video footage of the incident appears to show Chimaev breaking free from those trying to hold him back and charging toward Danis again. 

However, an RAF security staff member tackled Chimaev to the ground before the situation could escalate further. There are no reports of any serious injuries at the time of writing. The pair had run into each other in a hotel lobby before their fight on Saturday, which resulted in a highly publicized confrontation. But nobody had guessed that their fight would turn into a brawl.

The RAF has several options to help prevent similar incidents in the future, including imposing stricter penalties, issuing suspensions or permanent bans to team members, and taking disciplinary action against those involved. Whether the promotion chooses to implement such measures remains to be seen. However, during the post-fight press conference, CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein addressed the altercation.

“I don’t think for what we do… this is what we want,” Bronstein said. “It should have just stayed on the stage… We talked to both of them prior to the match and said [to] keep all wrestling on the stage. There should not be anyone getting on that stage. What we can say is no, the show was amazing before we got to that issue… 

“We’re 10 shows in. We had it happen once, now two. So, we have to make sure again that any of those matches happen. Security is even bigger. So, we don’t have that situation.”

Whether the RAF can prevent such things from happening again remains to be seen. But as Bronstein said, this is not the first time one of their events has descended into madness. At RAF 03 in February 2026, after Arman Tsarukyan defeated Georgio Poullas in Tempe, Arizona, the UFC lightweight attacked Poullas and kicked off a massive brawl. 

And just like that one, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dillon Danis’ brawl quickly attracted fan backlash on social media after Happy Punch posted a clip of the altercation. 

Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis face the wrath of fans

One user defended Danis. “Danis didn’t even do anything this time. Commentary all automatically blame him, lmao,” the user posted. Danis has developed a reputation as a troublemaker over the years. A few years ago, he was supposed to fight Logan Paul in a boxing match, but he tried to wrestle the WWE star in a boxing ring.

Even the next fan also blamed Khamzat Chimaev. “Khamzat shouldn’t have pushed him when he was lying on the ground. That’s why he kicked him, but we got another Dillon classic. Can’t complain,” the fan claimed. Despite what happened on the mat, the pair seemed tame throughout the build-up. 

Another user roped in Sean Strickland. “We need Strickland to go get control of his son,” wrote the user. ‘Tarzan’ handed Chimaev his first career loss earlier this year despite all the odds stacked against him. 

Someone else blamed Dillon Danis for how things turned out. “Dillon Danis [proved] once again he’s washed and sucks at everything he does,” the user commented. Despite being regarded as a skilled and well-rounded grappler, Danis is best known for his association with former teammate Conor McGregor.

Meanwhile, this user felt the brawl could have been completely avoided. “The corners didn’t need to rush in like that. The ref could’ve gotten that under control,” the user pointed out. RAF needs to set up penalties to prevent such things from happening. 

That being said, Khamzat Chimaev made a loud debut in the RAF. Not only did he win the bout easily, but he also made headlines, even if it’s for the wrong reasons.