American pair Kyle Dake and Kennedy Blades will also defend their titles at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, on November 14, with tickets now on sale via etihadarena.ae
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: October 2026 — Arman Tsarukyan will face Neiman Gracie in a Catchweight Crossover matchup at the inaugural Real American Freestyle (RAF) Abu Dhabi, setting up a heated showdown at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, on Saturday, November 14.
The contest leads five new additions to the Middle East’s first RAF event. American Kyle Dake will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Turkmenistan’s Alp Arslan Begenjov, while compatriot Kennedy Blades puts her Women’s Middleweight title on the line against fellow US athlete Bella Mir. Russia’s Zabit Magomedsharipov takes on Giga Chikadze of Georgia in a Welterweight Crossover bout, while Team USA Olympic gold medallist Jordan Burroughs meets Belarusian Azamat Nurykau at Middleweight.
Tsarukyan, UFC’s No1-ranked lightweight contender with an 11-2 UFC record, heads to the UAE capital with a 7-1 RAF record, including five wins by technical fall. He faces Brazilian Gracie, a three-time World BJJ bronze medallist with a 13-6 professional MMA record, in a contest that will test both athletes under freestyle wrestling rules.
Dake is unbeaten in six RAF appearances. A two-time Olympic bronze medallist and four-time world champion, he is also the only wrestler to win NCAA titles in four different weight classes. His challenger Begenjov is a U20 world champion, three-time Asian U23 medallist, and 2026 senior Asian bronze medallist.
Reigning RAF Middleweight champion Blades has recorded six technical falls in RAF without surrendering a point. Her illustrious résumé includes a 2024 Olympic silver medal, 2025 World bronze medal, and U23 World silver medal. Blades defends against a 2026 NCAA Champion and U23 World Team member in Mir, who also holds a 4-1 professional MMA record.
Magomedsharipov enters RAF with an 18-1 professional MMA record, including a perfect 6-0 UFC run and a 14-fight winning streak. His opponent, Chikadze, is an experienced MMA featherweight and accomplished kickboxer, with two world kickboxing titles and multiple world and European karate championships.
Burroughs and Nurykau will renew a rivalry that began with a closely contested match at the 2019 World Championships, where the American prevailed 11–10. Seven years later, the Olympic champion and six-time world champion will face the Belarusian again on the RAF stage. Nurykau is a European Championships bronze medallist who has competed at seven World Championships, reaching the bronze-medal match four times.
The inaugural RAF Abu Dhabi event marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and the UAE Wrestling Federation. It follows international RAF events in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow, Russia as it continues to build its global professional wrestling platform.
About Real American Freestyle:
Real American Freestyle (RAF) is the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league and the new main stage for the sport’s elite. Founded by Chad Bronstein, Izzy Martinez, and Eric Bischoff, RAF brings Olympic champions, World medalists, NCAA standouts, and top MMA crossover athletes together in a modern fight-night format built for today’s combat sports audience.
Since launching in August 2025, RAF has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing properties in combat sports, generating billions of media impressions and more than 300 million social views per event. RAF combines elite competition, global storytelling, and high-level production to create matchups and moments that extend far beyond the mat.
All RAF events stream live exclusively on FOX Nation. Beyond the professional league, RAF is building a broader wrestling ecosystem through athlete development initiatives, a national youth wrestling tournament series, and club acquisition under RAF NEXT GEN and RAF Clubs.
About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions.
By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
