Woodley, Chimaev Face Off Before Saturday's RAF Moscow Main Event

Q: With US sanctions looming over the Moscow venue, will the Woodley-Chimaev wrestling showdown actually happen this Saturday?

It may still happen, but there is real uncertainty and no clear public assurance that it is legally safe to proceed. As of Thursday, RAF Moscow remained on the schedule for Saturday at VTB Arena, and Woodley and Chimaev completed their faceoff as planned. Publicly, neither RAF nor U.S. authorities had announced a cancellation. That means the bout is still officially on. The problem is the venue. VTB Arena is tied to VTB Bank and BM-Bank, entities under U.S. sanctions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sanctions experts cited by ESPN said an American promotion doing business with that venue likely raises sanctions issues and probably would not fit normal exemptions such as journalism or humanitarian activity. They said RAF would likely need a specific U.S. Treasury license if it wants to avoid legal exposure, but RAF has not said whether it obtained one. RAF says it is seeking legal guidance and insists it is operating in compliance with applicable law. But Fox Nation, which had been expected to stream the event, pulled out after sanctions questions surfaced. That is the strongest sign yet that business partners see meaningful risk. So the best answer is this: the Woodley-Chimaev match is still scheduled and could go ahead, especially if RAF has private legal clearance, but its status is fragile. Unless RAF can show it has the necessary authorization or move away from the sanctioned venue, the event faces a serious last-minute disruption risk.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 3

Tyron Woodley and Khamzat Chimaev held a tense but respectful staredown Thursday ahead of their RAF Moscow headliner on Saturday.
The bout will be contested under freestyle wrestling rules at a catchweight, marking a crossover matchup between two former UFC champions.
Chimaev is making his 2nd RAF appearance after pinning Dillon Danis in June, a win followed by a brawl between both camps.
Woodley also enters his 2nd RAF outing after beating Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12 on Aug. 22, adding recent momentum to the Moscow main event.