Company announcementAnalysis
Real American Freestyle signs five-year Abu Dhabi partnership
Agreement with Department of Culture and Tourism brings wrestling events to UAE capital starting November 2026.
Real American Freestyle has signed a five-year partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation to bring wrestling events to the UAE capital. The agreement was announced on 22 September 2026 and will see RAF stage events at venues in Abu Dhabi over the five-year term.
Abu Dhabi wrestling debut scheduled for November 2026#
The partnership will commence with RAF's Middle East debut on 14 November 2026 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The event will feature combat sports athlete Khamzat Chimaev as the headline participant, with his opponent to be announced. Additional participants confirmed for the card include Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev, with their respective opponents to be disclosed at a later date. Fans can register interest for the 14 November event at VisitAbuDhabi.ae. Chimaev is a naturalized UAE citizen who represents the country internationally and will compete in front of a home crowd.
Third international event in RAF's debut year#
RAF Abu Dhabi will be the league's third international event in its first year of operations, following events in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia, where RAF staged a sold-out show in September 2026. The agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi places the capital on RAF's international schedule as the league expands its professional wrestling platform. RAF has launched RAF NEXT GEN as part of its operations. The league has staged events in Cleveland, Tbilisi and Moscow during its first year. The Cleveland event was RAF's inaugural event, and the league returned to Cleveland for RAF12.
Partnership structure and event location#
The five-year agreement between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation will bring RAF events to Abu Dhabi. Chad Bronstein is CEO and Co-Founder of RAF. The partnership provides RAF with access to Abu Dhabi's event infrastructure. RAF's expansion into the United Arab Emirates follows its events in Georgia and Russia. The 14 November 2026 event at Etihad Arena will be RAF's first event in the Middle East. The agreement runs for five years from 2026.
Sources1 source across 1 domain
- gulfnews.comGulf NewsFive-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and UAE Wrestling Federation announced 22 September 2026, debut event 14 November 2026 at Etihad Arena
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