Real American Freestyle Expands to Abu Dhabi with Major Event

Real American Freestyle is going global with intent, not just noise. The fast-rising combat sports promotion has confirmed a five-year deal with Abu Dhabi, with the first event set for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at Etihad Arena in the UAE capital.

RAF Abu Dhabi is expected to launch with serious star power. Former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is being lined up to headline, with fellow UFC standouts Arman Tsarukyan and Henry Cejudo also on the bill. On the wrestling side, the promotion is loading up with Olympic and world-level pedigree: Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, and Abdulrashid Sadulaev are all scheduled to compete.

For a company that has branded itself around high-octane freestyle wrestling and crossover combat, this is the statement move.

“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.

He pointed to the city’s status as a combat sports hub, noting its “vision and infrastructure to deliver events that resonate globally.” The long-term agreement, he added, gives RAF the runway to turn RAF Abu Dhabi into a signature stop on the calendar, something that can grow with athletes, fans, and the region over time.

Abu Dhabi’s sporting map keeps getting denser. From major MMA cards to grappling showcases and global tournaments, the emirate has spent the last decade building a reputation as a serious combat sports destination. RAF now joins that roster.

“Abu Dhabi has established a strong reputation as a global destination for major sporting events, and we are pleased to welcome Real American Freestyle as a new addition to our world class events calendar,” said H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi.

He framed the five-year partnership as part of a wider push to attract more high-profile properties while giving local fans and international visitors consistent access to elite combat sports in a top-tier arena setting. The goal is clear: make RAF Abu Dhabi a permanent, anticipated fixture on the city’s sporting schedule.

Before the promotion touches down in the Gulf, though, there’s business to handle in Las Vegas.

RAF 14 is next, set for Oct. 3 at BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada. That card carries its own intrigue. Arman Tsarukyan will meet combat sports lightning rod Dillon Danis for the promotion’s crossover championship, a matchup designed to pull in both hardcore fight fans and the social-media circus that follows Danis everywhere he goes.

The rest of the lineup leans heavily into the wrestling roots that underpin RAF’s identity. Alexander Shlemenko faces Michael Page at cruiserweight in a stylistic clash that promises chaos. Nathan Tomasello meets Roman Bravo-Young at bantamweight, Nick Suriano takes on Dylan Ragusin at featherweight, and Jordan Burroughs returns to action against Michael Caliendo at middleweight.

Las Vegas will set the tone. Abu Dhabi will test the ceiling.

If RAF can deliver in both cities—one the traditional fight capital of the world, the other a modern powerhouse for global events—it won’t just be expanding. It will be staking a claim in combat sports’ next era.