RAF Abu Dhabi: Khamzat Chimaev Meets Colby Covington at Etihad Arena

Real American Freestyle makes its Abu Dhabi debut at Etihad Arena on Saturday, 14 November, and it's the promotion's first event in the Middle East. Khamzat Chimaev headlines against Colby Covington, with the cruiserweight crossover championship on the line. In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan faces Neiman Gracie at catchweight. The action starts at 20:00, and doors open at 18:30.

RAF runs freestyle wrestling under its own rules: three two-minute periods, with a pin or a 10-point lead ending the match early. Chimaev, a former UFC middleweight champion and three-time Swedish national freestyle champion, became a UAE citizen in 2025 and is based in Dubai, so this is as close to a home match as it gets for him. Covington, the 2018 interim UFC welterweight champion and an NCAA Division I All-American at Oregon State, has held the RAF cruiserweight crossover title since July. The 13-match card also includes Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs Dauren Kurugliev, Kyle Snyder vs Shamil Erdogan for the light heavyweight title, Kyle Dake vs Alp Arslan Begenjov for the cruiserweight title, and crossover matches such as Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Giga Chikadze and Umar Nurmagomedov vs Urijah Faber.

RAF Next Gen follows in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, 15 November, but Saturday night is the main event of the weekend. It's Chimaev's first RAF match on home soil, and the promotion's first visit to the region. Be there when it happens: RAF Abu Dhabi tickets at Etihad Arena.