Julianna Pena Books Wrestling Match on Chimaev vs Covington Card in Abu Dhabi
The former UFC bantamweight champion will face Diana Avsaragova at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14.
Julianna Pena is heading to the wrestling mat. The former UFC women's bantamweight champion has booked a match against Diana Avsaragova at Real American Freestyle's Abu Dhabi event on November 14 at Etihad Arena, the promotion announced Monday.
The bout marks Pena's first competition since losing her UFC title to Kayla Harrison by second-round kimura submission in June 2025. Pena has worked as a color commentator for RAF since the promotion launched and is now stepping from behind the desk and onto the mat.
Avsaragova has competed for both Bellator and the PFL. In September at RAF 13, she lost by technical fall to reigning RAF middleweight champion Kennedy Blades.
The match sits on a stacked RAF Abu Dhabi card headlined by a cruiserweight crossover championship between former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and former interim UFC welterweight titleholder Colby Covington. The event is RAF's first show in the Middle East, part of a five-year partnership with Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism and the UAE Wrestling Federation.
RAF has carved out a unique space in combat sports by putting MMA fighters on wrestling mats under freestyle rules. The Chimaev vs. Covington headliner has drawn major attention, and adding Pena to the card gives it another recognizable name from the UFC world.
No weight class or match format was specified for the Pena vs. Avsaragova bout, per Sherdog. Tickets are already on sale.
I love this move from Pena. She's been sitting on the sidelines for over a year, and instead of waiting around for a UFC call that might not come, she's staying active in a different lane. RAF has something special going, and Pena's wrestling credentials are legit.
The real story on this card is Chimaev vs. Covington on the mats. That's a fight fans have wanted to see in the cage for years, and now it's happening under freestyle rules. I still think Chimaev ragdolls Covington, but Colby's grinding style might translate better to the mat than people expect.
As for Pena, Avsaragova is a solid test but not a world-beater. I expect Pena to come out aggressive and use her size. If she looks good here, don't be surprised if she starts angling for a bigger name on a future RAF card. The promotion pays well, and the Abu Dhabi money is real.
