Real American Freestyle (RAF) continues to rely heavily on bored UFC fighters looking for side quests, recently adding lightweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov and retired bantamweight bruiser Urijah Faber to its Abu Dhabi lineup, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 14, 2026 at Etihad Arena on FOX Nation.
Nurmagomedov will be making his RAF debut just a couple of months removed from his stunning knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai. As for Faber, who retired from UFC back in late 2019, he remains winless
under the RAF banner following consecutive losses to Henry Cejudo and Arman Tsarukyan.
Elsewhere on the card, reigning RAF Light Heavyweight Champion Kyle Snyder faces the undefeated Shamil Erdogan. In addition, former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev battles ex-UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover title in the RAF Abu Dhabi main event.
The inaugural RAF Abu Dhabi card marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and the UAE Wrestling Federation. It follows RAF’s international events in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia, as it continues to build its global professional wrestling platform.
“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.”
Additional matchups and further broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.
