Abu Dhabi (UAE) hosted the Real American Freestyle (RAF) Abu Dhabi freestyle wrestling event, headlined by a title bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Chris Weidman.
Chimaev, who represents the UAE, faced the American for the vacant RAF Crossover light heavyweight title. The bout was scheduled for three rounds and ended in a technical superiority win for Chimaev. He was leading 9:0 when Weidman requested a challenge, but it was not upheld.
Chimaev thus earned his fifth win in the RAF league and improved his record to 5:0. The bout was Weidman’s RAF debut. The American replaced Colby Covington, who was originally due to face Chimaev but withdrew through injury.
Turkmen wrestler Alp Arslan Begenjov competed in one of the title bouts. In his RAF debut, he lost to reigning champion Kyle Dake by technical superiority.
Results of the other bouts:
- Khamzat Chimaev (UAE) — Chris Weidman (USA) — Chimaev won by technical superiority in the second round, 10:0 (RAF Crossover light heavyweight title);
- Arman Tsarukyan (Armenia) — Neiman Gracie (Brazil) — Tsarukyan won by technical superiority in the first round;
- Zabit Magomedsharipov (Russia) — Giga Chikadze (Georgia) — Magomedsharipov won by technical superiority in the second round;
- Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) — Dauren Kurugliev (Greece) — Sadulaev won 8:5;
- Kyle Dake (USA) — Alp Arslan Begenjov (Turkmenistan) — Dake won by technical superiority in the third round, 10:0 (RAF cruiserweight title);
- Urijah Faber (USA) — Saba Lazishvili (Georgia) — Lazishvili won 12:7;
- Jordan Burroughs (USA) — Azamat Nurikov (Belarus) — Burroughs won 9:0;
- Kyle Snyder (USA) — Shamil Erdogan (Türkiye) — Snyder won by technical superiority in the second round (RAF light heavyweight title);
- Murtaza Talha (Bahrain) — Usama Elsaidi (Egypt) — Talha won by judges’ decision;
- Diana Avsaragova (Russia) — Julianna Peña (USA) — Avsaragova won by fall in the first round;
- Merab Dvalishvili (Georgia) — Marlon Moraes (Brazil) — Dvalishvili won by fall in the first round;
- Zahid Valencia (USA) — Khidir Saipudinov (Bahrain) — Valencia won 4:2;
- Kennedy Blades (USA) — Bella Mir (USA) — Blades won by technical superiority in the first round (RAF women’s middleweight title).
The next Real American Freestyle league event will be RAF 15, which will take place on 28 November in Chicago, Illinois.
