Kyle Snyder has found the UFC fighter he wants to wrestle most, and it is Khamzat Chimaev. The Olympic gold medalist said Chimaev is the one crossover matchup that actually interests him, calling the UFC middleweight champion fearless and comparing his style to Arman Tsarukyan’s.
Snyder said he has watched clips of Chimaev wrestling Abdulrashid Sadulaev and others in the gym, and came away convinced the UFC star belongs in the conversation. “I’ve seen clips of him wrestling and I think he’s pretty good,” Snyder said, adding that Chimaev is “similar to Arman [Tsarukyan] where you watch him wrestle and you’re like wow, pretty good. They know what they’re doing.”
The timing gives the idea a little more weight. Chimaev is the UFC middleweight champion and is preparing for his first title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in May, while Snyder already has a title defense booked at RAF 8. The matchup would also fit neatly into a promotions calendar that is busy on both sides, with RAF putting on shows every month and Chimaev’s next UFC obligation already set.
Snyder said the appeal is not just the name value. He pointed to Chimaev’s competitiveness, conditioning and aggression as the traits that would make the wrestling exchange compelling. “The thing I like about Khamzat is he’s fearless,” Snyder said. “At least he competes without fear and he competes like he’s the alpha. I think he would take that same attitude into a wrestling match. His conditioning is obviously one of his strongest attributes and just his will to win. I’d be excited. I think it would be fun to get ready for.”
That is a notable shift from where Snyder stood before. He had previously said he was not interested in crossover matches with UFC fighters, but the possibility of Chimaev has clearly changed the conversation. Snyder said it would be “one of the only matches” he would actively want, and called it an interesting crossover because Chimaev is already proven in the cage while also showing enough on the mat to draw his attention.
There are still more pressing dates on Snyder’s own calendar. He is preparing for the upcoming World Championships in wrestling and has his sights set on a fourth Olympic run in 2028. He also mentioned NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson as a possible opponent after both competed at RAF 7, another reminder that his immediate focus remains on wrestling even as he entertains a fight he said would be fun to make.
Chimaev’s own schedule is crowded too. He is expected to defend his UFC title against Strickland in May, while Gable Steveson, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist, is slated to make his debut at RAF 9 in May and is also preparing for his first UFC fight in July after recently signing with the promotion. That leaves the wrestling versus MMA crossover Snyder wants in the same place it always lands: possible, intriguing and not simple to arrange. Snyder said, “It would be interesting. We’ll see. He’s got a lot going on as well. We’ll see if it could ever work out but I think it would be an exciting matchup for people to see and just an interesting crossover amongst fighting.”
