Tsarukyan vs Gracie and Zabit vs Chikadze Added to Stacked RAF Abu Dhabi Card
Real American Freestyle adds five new matchups to its Nov. 14 event at Etihad Arena, headlined by Chimaev vs Covington.
Real American Freestyle has announced five new matchups for its inaugural Abu Dhabi event on November 14 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, per Sherdog.
The additions include a catchweight bout between top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (24-3) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Neiman Gracie (13-6), who previously competed in Bellator and PFL. The bout will be contested under freestyle wrestling rules.
Former UFC featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov will also return to competition, facing Giga Chikadze in a welterweight crossover bout. Magomedsharipov has not competed in the UFC since 2019 and has been a regular on the RAF circuit.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs will take on Belarusian wrestler Azamat Nurykau in a middleweight bout. The two previously met at the 2019 world championships, where Burroughs won 11-10.
Kyle Dake will defend his RAF cruiserweight title against Alp Arslan Begenjov, while Kennedy Blades puts her RAF women's middleweight title on the line against Bella Mir.
The card is headlined by Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington for the RAF cruiserweight crossover title. The event marks the start of a five-year partnership between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, and the UAE Wrestling Federation.
This card is getting ridiculous in the best way possible. Chimaev vs. Covington on top, and now Tsarukyan, Zabit, Burroughs, and Dake on the undercard. RAF keeps proving there is a massive audience for combat sports crossovers when you put the right names together.
The Zabit return is the one that has me most interested. The guy was one of the most creative fighters the UFC has ever seen, and he walked away before we got to see his ceiling. Chikadze is no easy comeback fight, either.
Tsarukyan vs. Gracie under wrestling rules is a fun stylistic clash, and Burroughs vs. Nurykau is a rematch from worlds that went down to the wire. Abu Dhabi on November 14. Mark it.
