Real American Freestyle (RAF) continues its overseas expansion later this year with the announcement of RAF Abu Dhabi as part of a five-year deal that begins on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is expected to headline the card, along with fellow UFC stars Arman Tsarukyan and Henry Cejudo and amateur wrestling icons Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev.
“From day one, our goal 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 combat sports destinations with the vision and infrastructure to host world-class events. 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 up on the RAF schedule is RAF 14 on October 3 at the BleauLive Theater in Fontainebleau, Las Vegas, Nevada. This map features the aforementioned Tsarukyan against combat sports clown Dillon Danis for the promotion’s crossover championship, as well as Alexander Shlemenko vs. Michael Page (cruiser), Nathan Tomasello vs. Roman Bravo-Young (featherweight), Nick Suriano vs. Dylan Ragusin (featherweight), and Jordan Burroughs vs. Michael Caliendo (middleweight).
“Abu Dhabi has built a strong reputation as a global destination for major sporting events and we are delighted to welcome Real American Freestyle as a new addition to our world-class calendar of events,” said HE Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General of Tourism, DCT Abu Dhabi. “This five-year partnership reflects our ambition to bring more high-profile sporting venues to the emirate, while offering Abu Dhabi fans and visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience elite combat sports at a world-class level. We look forward to building on this partnership and making RAF Abu Dhabi a fixture in our sporting calendar.”
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