Khamzat Chimaev vs Colby Covington announced for first RAF Abu Dhabi event

Dubai: Khamzat Chimaev will face Colby Covington in the headline bout of Real American Freestyle’s (RAF) first event in the Middle East, with the two former UFC stars set to compete for the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship.

The event will take place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on November 14 as per the press release. Chimaev, who has competed under the UAE flag since 2023, will fight in front of a home crowd against Covington, a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler and former UFC interim welterweight champion.

Both fighters have already built unbeaten records in RAF. Chimaev is 3-0 after beating Dillon Danis, Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns, with his latest victory coming at RAF 13. Covington is 5-0 in the promotion after victories over Luke Rockhold, Danis, Chris Weidman, Arman Tsarukyan and Belal Muhammad.

The matchup brings together two well-known names from the UFC. Chimaev previously held the UFC middleweight title, while Covington won the interim welterweight championship in 2018. The American is also the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship and will defend it against Chimaev.

Other major wrestling and combat sports names including Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev will also compete in Abu Dhabi, with their opponents to be announced.

The event marks the start of a five-year partnership between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and the UAE Wrestling Federation. It follows RAF events in Tbilisi and Moscow as the promotion expands internationally.