Real American Freestyle (RAF) will continue its overseas expansion later this year with the announcement of RAF Abu Dhabi, part of a five-year deal that kicks off on Sat., Nov. 14, 2026 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Expected to headline the card is former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, with fellow UFC stars Arman Tsarukyan and Henry Cejudo as well as Henry Cejudo, amateur wrestling icons Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, and Abdulrashid Sadulaev scheduled to compete.
“From day one, our
ambition has been to bring RAF to the world’s great sports markets, and there is no better place for this next chapter than Abu Dhabi,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and Co-Founder of RAF. “Abu Dhabi is one of the premier destinations for combat sports, with the vision and infrastructure to deliver events that resonate globally. This five-year partnership gives us the opportunity to make RAF Abu Dhabi a signature event and build something meaningful for athletes, fans and the region for years to come.”
Next on the RAF docket is RAF 14 on Oct. 3 at BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada. That card will feature the aforementioned Tsarukyan against combat sports clown Dillon Danis for the promotion’s crossover championship, as well as Alexander Shlemenko vs. Michael Page (cruiserweight), Nathan Tomasello vs. Roman Bravo-Young (bantamweight), Nick Suriano vs. Dylan Ragusin (featherweight), and Jordan Burroughs vs.Michael Caliendo (middleweight).
“Abu Dhabi has established a strong reputation as a global destination for major sporting events, and we are pleased to welcome Real American Freestyle as a new addition to our world class events calendar,” said H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. “This five-year partnership reflects our ambition to bring more high-profile sporting properties to the emirate while giving fans in Abu Dhabi and visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience elite combat sports in a world-class setting. We look forward to building on this partnership and making RAF Abu Dhabi a fixture on our sporting calendar.”
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