Pat Downey says 15-20 MMA fighters have turned him down for an RAF match.
On June 13, Khamzat Chimaev faces Dillon Danis in his RAF debut at the Chaifetz Arena St. Louis, Missouri.
The promotion’s tenth event will take place the day before the UFC White House card and also boasts Arman Tsarukyan taking on Tony Ferguson.
While Downey is excited to be part of the card alongside the two aforementioned UFC stars, with whom he’s a training partner, he was hoping to also land a high-profile matchup.
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Pat Downey reflects on Kamaru Usman loss after listing MMA names he’s tried to face in RAF
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Pat Downey called out various MMA names who he says have either turned an RAF match with him down or outpriced themselves.
He listed potential opponents like Sean Strickland, Joe Pyfer, Sean Brady, and Johnny Eblen, who he says have all failed to step up and compete against him.
When Kamaru Usman’s name was brought up, who he has history with having been beaten by ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ in wrestling back in 2011, he named this as another matchup he wants.
“If you’re out there Marty fake newsman, you’re taking everything I work for,” Downey said. “Give me that match back. You beat me when I was a teenager, man, and the ruleset was different… I beat him as a teenager in my mind so that’s not anything that haunts me or that I’m looking to get back but bro, if that match was offered, I’d sign so quickly. Give me that bout agreement, all day.”
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Downey is no stranger to competing against notable names from MMA, having already faced Yoel Romero and Joaquin Buckley under the RAF banner.
He also previously competed in MMA twice with Bellator, which is another reason he’s calling these fighters out, arguing that he went over to their sport so they shouldn’t be afraid to do the same.
His next matchup sees him compete against Zac Braunagel, who Downey admits is far from the most ideal opponent for him to face.
“Honestly, it’s the worst matchup because I don’t even know him and he’s a wrestler,” he added.
2026-06-09 03:30:00
