Abu Dhabi will host the Middle East’s first Real American Freestyle (RAF) professional freestyle wrestling event on Saturday, November 14. The event will take place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, with combat sports star Khamzat Chimaev headlining the card.

RAF has announced a five-year partnership agreement with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation. Under the agreement, the UAE capital will host a series of RAF events over the coming years.

Chimaev, a naturalised UAE citizen who represents the country in international competitions, has become one of RAF’s leading figures since joining the league.

Chimaev’s opponent for the Abu Dhabi event has yet to be announced. Details of his bout and the other matchups are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Top wrestling and combat sports stars to compete
In addition to Chimaev, several prominent wrestling and combat sports figures have been confirmed for the event, including:

Arman Tsarukyan
Henry Cejudo
Jordan Burroughs
Kyle Snyder
Abdulrashid Sadulaev

Their opponents have also yet to be confirmed.

The Abu Dhabi competition will be RAF’s third international event in its inaugural year. The league has previously staged events in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia.

RAF also recently celebrated its first anniversary with RAF12 in Cleveland, United States. Organisers described it as the league’s biggest event to date.

Date, venue and ticket information

Date: Saturday, November 14
Venue: Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: Fans can now register their interest for the opportunity to purchase tickets once they go on sale.

Fans can register their interest through the official RAF Abu Dhabi event page on Abu Dhabi’s tourism website.