Raul Rosas Jr. to Make RAF Wrestling Debut Against Clay Guida
The 22-year-old UFC bantamweight headlines RAF 15 against veteran Clay Guida on November 28 in Chicago.
Raul Rosas Jr. is stepping onto the wrestling mat. The 22-year-old UFC bantamweight contender will make his Real American Freestyle wrestling debut on November 28, headlining RAF 15 against UFC veteran Clay Guida, per MMA Mania.
The event takes place at NOW Arena in Chicago, Illinois, and airs live on FOX Nation. RAF announced the headlining matchup Friday evening via social media.
RAF, short for Real American Freestyle, is a professional wrestling promotion that features current and former MMA fighters competing under freestyle wrestling rules. The promotion has been building momentum throughout 2026, and landing a rising UFC name like Rosas Jr. as a headliner is a significant get.
Rosas Jr. made history as the youngest fighter to ever compete in the UFC when he debuted at 17. Now 22, he has developed into a legitimate bantamweight contender with a grappling-heavy style that should translate well to the wrestling format.
Guida is a UFC Hall of Famer with a 22-year career in MMA. The Illinois native has already been involved with RAF and has expressed interest in continued involvement with the promotion. Fighting in Chicago puts Guida in front of a hometown crowd, which should make for an electric atmosphere.
The crossover between MMA and competitive wrestling continues to grow, and RAF has positioned itself at the center of it. Putting two active UFC-caliber fighters in a wrestling headline match gives the promotion legitimacy that most crossover events struggle to find.
This is a fun one. Rosas Jr. is one of the most exciting young fighters in the UFC, and his grappling is legitimate. Putting him on a wrestling card against a guy like Clay Guida, who built his entire career on toughness and scrambles, is exactly the kind of matchup that makes these crossover events worth watching.
I like what RAF is doing. Instead of booking celebrity nonsense or retired fighters who have no business competing, they're getting active UFC names who can actually wrestle. That's how you build a real product. Rosas Jr. headlines, Guida brings the veteran credibility and the hometown crowd, and you've got a card that MMA fans will actually tune into.
The bigger picture here is that MMA fighters competing in wrestling keeps them sharp between UFC bookings. Rosas Jr. stays active, stays in competition mode, and gets paid for it. There's no downside. November 28 in Chicago should be a good time.
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