Real American Freestyle Launches Abu Dhabi Event

Real American Freestyle is going global with intent, not experiment.

The fast-rising combat sports promotion has confirmed a five-year deal to stage RAF Abu Dhabi, debuting on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at Etihad Arena in the UAE capital. It is not a soft launch. It is a statement.

Front and center is the expected headliner: former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most volatile, compelling figures in modern MMA. Alongside him, more UFC star power in Arman Tsarukyan and Olympic gold medallist Henry Cejudo, plus a roll call of amateur wrestling royalty — Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, and Abdulrashid Sadulaev — all slated to compete.

From the outset, RAF has talked about reach. Now it has the platform to match the rhetoric.

“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 emirate’s established reputation in combat sports and the long-term nature of the agreement: “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.”

Abu Dhabi, already a pillar of the global fight calendar through major MMA and grappling events, now adds another combat property to its portfolio. The Etihad Arena, with its modern infrastructure and proven ability to host high-end shows, offers RAF a ready-made stage.

The enthusiasm is mutual.

“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 partnership as part of a wider strategy: attracting high-profile sports while giving local and traveling fans direct access to elite competition. “We look forward to building on this partnership and making RAF Abu Dhabi a fixture on our sporting calendar.”

Before the promotion touches down in the Gulf, it has business to handle in the fight capital of the United States.

RAF 14 lands on Oct. 3 at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a card that underlines the promotion’s crossover ambitions. Arman Tsarukyan will face combat sports provocateur Dillon Danis for the promotion’s crossover championship — a bout designed as much to draw eyes as to answer technical questions.

The rest of the lineup leans heavily into pure wrestling pedigree and stylistic intrigue: Alexander Shlemenko vs. Michael Page at cruiserweight, Nathan Tomasello vs. Roman Bravo-Young at bantamweight, Nick Suriano vs. Dylan Ragusin at featherweight, and Jordan Burroughs vs. Michael Caliendo at middleweight.

RAF is betting that this blend — established MMA names, Olympic-level wrestlers, and showmen who polarize as much as they attract — can carve out a distinct lane in a crowded combat sports market.

Abu Dhabi will be the real test of that vision. A five-year runway. A proven arena. A fanbase that has already embraced big-fight nights. And a card fronted by Chimaev, Tsarukyan, Cejudo, Burroughs, Snyder, and Sadulaev.

If RAF gets it right, Abu Dhabi won’t just be another stop on the tour. It will be the centerpiece.