Robbie Lawler Returns to the Scale for a Grappling Match Against Khamzat Chimaev

Seeing "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler step on a scale in 2026 feels like a glitch in the MMA matrix. You expect him to start biting his mouthpiece and swinging hooks, but instead, he is gearing up for a pure wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev at RAF 14.

The event goes down October 23 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. It is streaming on Fox Nation, which is a sentence that sounds like a sports-business Mad Libs pull but is entirely real.

"Lawler stated he doesn't feel like an underdog heading into the matchup."

Lawler is a former UFC welterweight champion who built his legacy on violent, soul-stealing brawls. Chimaev is an active, terrifying force of nature who treats opponents like heavy bags with pulses. Putting them in a grappling setting is a fascinating, slightly unhinged experiment.

Lawler recently told reporters he does not feel like an underdog here. That is exactly what you want to hear from a guy who has spent two decades defying human limits inside a cage.

But the betting public knows Chimaev's relentless chain wrestling is a completely different kind of math problem to solve. Chimaev is younger, naturally larger, and built his entire aura on throwing grown men across the octagon.

We will see if veteran savvy can slow down pure explosive chaos when they hit the mats. If nothing else, getting to see Lawler compete again without taking head trauma is a massive win for everyone involved.