RAF signs five-year Abu Dhabi deal, Chimaev to headline debut tournament

Dubai: Real American Freestyle (RAF), a premier platform for elite wrestling, has announced a five-year partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the UAE Wrestling Federation, bringing RAF events to the UAE capital.

The partnership will get underway on Saturday, November 14, when Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena hosts RAF’s Middle East debut. Combat sports star Khamzat Chimaev will headline the event, with his opponent set to be revealed in the coming weeks.

The card will also feature major names from wrestling and combat sports, including Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Their respective opponents will be announced at a later date.

Fans are encouraged to register their interest early for the November 14 event at VisitAbuDhabi.ae for the best chance to secure tickets.

RAF Abu Dhabi will be the league’s third international event in its debut year, following its first overseas events in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia, where it staged a sold-out show in September.

The long-term agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi further strengthens the capital’s role on RAF’s growing international schedule, while supporting the league’s ambition to establish a professional wrestling platform with a truly global reach.

“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.”

Chimaev has quickly emerged as one of RAF’s biggest stars, bringing dominant performances and an enormous global following to the league. A naturalized UAE citizen who represents the country internationally, he will headline RAF’s Abu Dhabi debut in front of a home crowd.

The partnership comes as RAF enters its second year with significant momentum both at home and abroad, recently returning to Cleveland for RAF12 - its one-year anniversary and biggest event to date. In 12 months, the league has grown from its inaugural event in Cleveland into a year-round sports platform, staging sold-out events, building a global roster of Olympic champions, World champions and combat sports stars, launching RAF NEXT GEN and establishing an expanding international footprint.

The expansion into the United Arab Emirates reflects RAF’s strategy of bringing premium professional wrestling events directly to markets with passionate combat sports audiences, deep wrestling cultures and world-class live event infrastructure. Through its partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi, RAF will have the opportunity to establish a recurring presence in a market that has become a global destination for major combat sports and live entertainment.

RAF Abu Dhabi’s main event will follow with a full card of Olympic champions, World champions, NCAA standouts and leading crossover athletes from wrestling and MMA.      

Additional matchups, venue information, tickets, event-week programming and broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.