Professional freestyle wrestling league Real American Freestyle (RAF) holds its first Middle East event on 14 November at Etihad Arena. In the main event, Colby Covington defends his cruiserweight belt against Khamzat Chimaev, two UFC names unbeaten in the league.
Practical information
- Dates
- Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Venue
- Etihad Arena, île de Yas, Abou Dhabi, Émirats arabes unis
What's at stake
Real American Freestyle, the US professional freestyle wrestling league, arrives in Abu Dhabi under a five-year partnership with the emirate's Department of Culture and Tourism and the UAE Wrestling Federation. After Tbilisi and Moscow, it is the league's first stop in the Middle East.
The main event pits two MMA names against each other. Colby Covington, former interim UFC welterweight champion and a two-time NCAA All-American, defends his cruiserweight crossover title. He is 5-0 in RAF but was just submitted in a grappling match by Raul Rosas Jr. on 3 November in Rome. Khamzat Chimaev has competed under the UAE flag since 2023, so he wrestles in front of a home crowd. Covington has said he would rather have defended his belt in the United States.
Card
RAF has confirmed Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev, with opponents still to be named in early November. The start time is not confirmed: US outlets mention a late-morning or early-afternoon start, New York time.
Getting there
Etihad Arena is on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. RAF says further bouts, fight-week programming and broadcast details will be announced later. The same day, Ciryl Gane defends his heavyweight title at UFC 334 in New York.