Jorge Masvidal’s prolonged absence from combat sports could finally be over. The first BMF champion’s highly anticipated return has been confirmed, but instead of stepping into a cage, ‘Gamebred’ will compete in a submission-only match. His opponent? Masvidal is all set to face Khamzat Chimaev in a grudge match.

According to MMA Fighting, the ALF League confirmed Masvidal’s return on Sunday. The report stated that Masvidal would clash against Chimaev in the main event of the promotion’s inaugural event in Dubai on December 4, 2026.

Masvidal is scheduled to return more than two years after his boxing match loss against Nate Diaz in 2024. Initially, the former UFC welterweight title challenger was slated to make his comeback against Shara Magomedov at a Hype FC submission event in March 2026. Unfortunately, that bout fizzled out for undisclosed reasons and ultimately delayed Masvidal’s return. 

The format of Masvidal vs. Chimaev’s submission-only showdown is yet to be revealed. However, it’s possible that ALF Global could follow Hype FC’s model for submission matches.

Under Hype FC’s rules, fighters participating in a submission-only event have one clear objective: choking out their opponents. An athlete won’t earn points simply by scoring a takedown, moving into a better position, or executing any other permitted technique. They must secure a submission finish within the allotted time to win. Punches, kicks, and other forms of striking are strictly prohibited.

Plus, Hype FC has no judges to score the bout, eliminating the possibility of a fighter winning on points. However, a match can end in a draw if neither fighter manages to submit the other. For instance, Arman Tsarukyan vs. Shara Magomedov’s Hype FC submission-only event ended in a draw after they failed to secure a submission within the allotted six minutes.

For Masvidal, however, this won’t be his first appearance in a submission-only event.

Previously, the former BMF champion faced ex-UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in 2019 under the Dean Toole Promotions banner. The bout ended in a draw. Outside of that, there are no other reported instances of Masvidal participating in a submission-only event.

On the other hand, Khamzat Chimaev has been very active in Real American Freestyle (RAF). The former middleweight champion is currently 4-0 under the freestyle wrestling promotion’s banner and has defeated names like Dillon Danis and Robbie Lawler. However, the matchup against Jorge Masvidal would mark Chimaev’s debut in a submission-only event.

Jorge Masvidal’s return in a submission-only match is particularly important because it could open the door to even more captivating fights. ‘Gamebred’ retired from professional MMA after losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. Since then, he flirted with the idea of a return, which he eventually made against Diaz in 2024.

Following that, Masvidal’s rumored UFC comeback never materialized. However, he recently revealed that he had positive talks with the UFC and also disclosed that a potential return to Zuffa Boxing could be in the works, perhaps even Power Slap.

If he secures an upset victory against Chimaev, albeit in a submission match, the doors could open for some exciting future fights, and even the UFC could become interested in signing him back.

Plus, Masvidal will have extra motivation heading into the bout, considering the animosity brewing between him and the former middleweight champion.

Jorge Masvidal and Khamzat Chimaev beef    

Once upon a time, Jorge Masvidal and Khamzat Chimaev used to share a weight class. Both competed in the UFC’s welterweight division and generated quite a buzz through their back-and-forth.

Both have taken verbal shots at each other on multiple occasions, but Masvidal and Chimaev’s beef intensified ahead of UFC 279. The UFC initially scheduled ‘Borz’ to face Nate Diaz in the main event. While discussing the matchup, ‘Gamebred’ criticized Chimaev for his performance against Gilbert Burns and claimed Diaz would beat him.

Later, Masvidal lambasted Chimaev for missing the welterweight limit against Diaz by more than seven pounds. In response, the Chechen admitted that he thought Masvidal was a “cool guy”, but the Miami-based fighter’s words would “smash” him.

But that’s not all when it comes to Masvidal and Chimaev’s feud.

Masvidal kept the situation heated between them by calling Chimaev a “c—th sniffer” ahead of his UFC 328 matchup against Sean Strickland, mainly criticizing the Chechen’s wrestling. He also predicted Strickland would defeat Chimaev, which ended up happening in New Jersey this year.

Despite such a bitter rivalry, the UFC never scheduled a fight between Masvidal and Chimaev. Finally, we would get to see both of them collide in a submission grappling match