RAF Abu Dhabi card: Tsarukyan vs Gracie and Zabit vs Chikadze added
Real American Freestyle's first Middle East show now has six bouts under Chimaev vs Covington at Etihad Arena.
Real American Freestyle has filled out its first Middle East card, at Etihad Arena on Saturday 14 November. Sherdog reported on 9 October that Arman Tsarukyan will face Neiman Gracie and Zabit Magomedsharipov will meet Giga Chikadze, under the Khamzat Chimaev vs Colby Covington headliner for the RAF cruiserweight crossover title.
Tsarukyan vs Gracie is a catchweight crossover under freestyle wrestling rules. Tsarukyan, a leading UFC lightweight contender, is 7-1 in RAF since debuting in January, with wins over Urijah Faber and Tony Ferguson among others, and his only loss came against Covington, 5-3 in July, Gulf News reported. Gracie is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, a three-time world bronze medallist and 13-6 in MMA.
Two RAF titles are on the line as well. American Kyle Dake, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, four-time world champion and unbeaten in six RAF appearances, defends the cruiserweight belt against Alp Arslan Begenjov of Turkmenistan. Kennedy Blades defends the women's middleweight title against Bella Mir, the 2026 NCAA champion.
Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs meets Belarus's Azamat Nurykau at middleweight, a rematch of their 2019 world championships bout, which Burroughs won 11-10. Magomedsharipov, 18-1 in MMA and 6-0 in the UFC, faces Chikadze, a former kickboxing world champion from Georgia, in a welterweight crossover.
The show opens a five-year partnership between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation. It comes three weeks after UFC 333 at the same arena.
Real American Freestyle Abu DhabiSat 14 Nov · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See tickets
