Real American Freestyle (RAF), billed as the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league, is set to stage its Middle East debut on Saturday, November 14, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The headline bout pits UAE wrestler Khamzat Chimaev against American Colby Covington in the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship. Chimaev, who holds an undefeated 28-match freestyle wrestling record, has already faced trash talk from Covington, who said ahead of the bout: "I think I would break Khamzat. He doesn't have the cardio to keep up with me."

The rest of the card features a strong line-up of Olympic champions, world medallists and MMA crossover athletes, including Arman Tsarukyan against Neiman Gracie, Umar Nurmagomedov against Uriah Faber, Kyle Dake against Alp Arslan Begenjov for the Cruiserweight Championship, Kennedy Blades against Bella Mir for the Women's Middleweight title, Zabit Magomedsharipov against Giga Chikadze, Jordan Burroughs against Azamat Nurykau, and Kyle Snyder against Shamil Erdogan.

The event follows a five-year partnership between RAF, Abu Dhabi's DCT and the UAE Wrestling Federation, and comes after previous RAF events in Georgia and Moscow. Tickets start from Dh95.

The booking adds to a growing calendar of major combat-sports events in Abu Dhabi, further cementing the emirate's status as one of the world's leading hubs for high-profile wrestling and combat-sports promotions.