A rising promotion within the combat sports world, Real American Freestyle has really put freestyle wrestling on the forefront with its UFC-style cards while exhibiting some of the world’s top talent.
On Saturday night, RAF 09 featured a trio of Huskers in Ridge Lovett and Antrell Taylor at Lightweight (155 pounds), and Christopher Minto at Middleweight (175 pounds). Lovett — who is going to be in Final X in June at 70 kg — earned his biggest career win over an Olympic medalist, while Taylor and Minto fell
to former Penn State superstars.
RAF has a great model going and supplies college and high school wrestlers with an avenue to earn money and continue their career beyond college.
Ridge Lovett vs. Bajrang Punia
Lightweight (155 pounds)
In one of the matches of the night, Lovett faced off against Punia of India — a five time World and Olympic Medalist at 60 and 65 kg. Punia won Olympic bronze at 65 kg in 2021.
Lovett started the scoring with a single-leg takedown in the first period while also collecting a shot-clock point to go up 3-0.
In the second of three two-minute periods, Lovett got another takedown and a turn to go up 7-0, but Punia showed his experience when he scored a four-pointer with a chest wrap off Lovett’s shot. Lovett stayed on the leg and immediately scored the reversal before adding a late takedown and tilt with double boots in, giving him the 11-6 lead.
Lovett scored first in the third period with an exposure from a crotch lock before Punia scored a late takedown, but it wasn’t enough. Lovett got the win 13-8.
With a Final X date looming against former World Champion Zain Retherford, Lovett is on a roll. He won the US Open title in April before winning a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships in May. On the year, Lovett is 10-1 at the Senior level with his only loss coming 5-5 on criteria against Kazakhstan’s Maiis Aliyev at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February. Aliyev is a former U20 and U23 World Team member and has a U20 bronze at the Asian Championships.
Final X will take place June 19 with Lovett taking on Retherford in a best-of-three series.
Christopher Minto vs. Jason Nolf
Middleweight (175 pounds)
Minto took this match on short notice to face off against Nolf who is still considered to be one of the best wrestlers in America. A three-time NCAA Champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner, Nolf is one of the best wrestlers ever to not make a World or Olympic team.
And Minto gave him all he could handle in this one.
Both wrestlers exchanged push-out points to start the match before Nolf was able to score a late exposure out of an extended scramble to go up 3-1 (see it below at the beginning). Minto did then cut the lead to 3-2 with a last-second push out.
Minto then took a 3-3 criteria lead with a push out off a re-attack and added two more points when he exposed Nolf during a far-ankle scramble. Minto then made a big mistake against Nolf when he went for a lat drop but was put on his back instead (see it above at the end), giving Nolf the 7-5 lead after two periods.
Minto gave up a shot-clock point in the third and wasn’t able to get to his offense, eventually dropping the match 8-5.
Despite the loss, I think Minto probably turned some heads with this performance against an icon in the sport in Nolf.
Antrell Taylor vs. Zain Retherford
Lightweight (155 pounds)
Taylor also took his match on short notice after multiple wrestlers pulled out of this match against Retherford.
Facing Lovett’s Final X opponent, Taylor was unable to get much going against the defense of Retherford.
Taylor gave up a shot-clock point in the first period before Retherford scored two push outs in the second to go up 3-0. Retherford added another shot-clock point in the third before taking Taylor down late and sinking in the bow and arrow late for an additional exposure.
When the dust settled, Taylor lost the match 8-0.
Going into his senior season, it’s clear that Taylor is likely focusing on folkstyle for one last run at a second NCAA title — with potentially a RAF match or two sprinkled in there. Taylor did not try to make a World Team this year, but I’d anticipate him being in contention for Team USA in 2027 and beyond after his college career is over.
