Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis Set for Trilogy at RAF 15 in Chicago
UFC Hall of Famer Cowboy Cerrone returns from a four-year retirement to face Showtime Pettis in freestyle wrestling at RAF 15.
Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis will meet for a third time at Real American Freestyle (RAF) 15 on November 28 at NOW Arena in Chicago, the promotion announced. The event airs on Fox Nation starting at 7 p.m. local time.
The bout will be contested under freestyle wrestling rules, not MMA, making it the latest crossover booking from a promotion that has built its brand around pairing recognizable combat sports names with a wrestling format. Both fighters are making their RAF debuts.
Cerrone, a UFC Hall of Famer and longtime fan favorite, has been retired from professional fighting for roughly four years. The 43-year-old holds the UFC record for most finishes and most post-fight bonuses in promotion history. His return through RAF marks his first competitive outing since stepping away from the sport.
Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion who later won the PFL lightweight title, has remained active in combat sports. He is known for some of the most athletic striking in MMA history, including his famous Showtime Kick against Benson Henderson.
The two previously split their MMA series. Pettis won their first meeting at UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013 with a first-round body kick knockout. Cerrone evened the score with a unanimous decision at UFC 249 in May 2020.
RAF has carved out a niche by booking retired and semi-retired MMA fighters in wrestling bouts, per MMA Fighting. The Cerrone-Pettis rivalry carries over well to a grappling format, as both fighters proved comfortable in the clinch and on the mat during their MMA careers.
I love Cowboy, and the idea of him and Showtime going at it one more time in a wrestling match is honestly kind of perfect. No head trauma, no weight cut to 155, just two dudes who spent a decade beating each other up seeing who can outgrapple the other. If you are going to come out of retirement, this is the way to do it.
RAF keeps making smart bookings. They know their audience is MMA fans who want to see familiar names compete without the wear and tear of a real fight. Cerrone vs. Pettis III in Chicago on Fox Nation will draw eyeballs. Whether either of them can actually wrestle at a high level is beside the point. The story sells itself.
