TLDR
- Umar Nurmagomedov signed with Real American Freestyle and will make his debut November 14 in Abu Dhabi
- Nurmagomedov faces former UFC fighter Urijah Faber at Etihad Arena on Yas Island
- The move comes after Nurmagomedov suffered a knockout loss to Song Yadong in August
- Faber is 0-2 in RAF competition, losing to Henry Cejudo and Arman Tsarukyan
- The event is headlined by Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington for the RAF cruiserweight crossover title
Sources: mmafighting.com | thenationalnews.com
Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov has signed with Real American Freestyle wrestling and will make his promotional debut on November 14. The 30-year-old from Dagestan will face Urijah Faber at RAF Abu Dhabi, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
RAF officials confirmed the matchup to multiple media outlets on Wednesday. The event marks the first of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and the UAE Wrestling Federation.
Nurmagomedov brings a 20-2 professional MMA record to the wrestling mat, including seven submission victories. The move to RAF comes after a difficult stretch in his UFC career that included a knockout loss to Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Shanghai in August.
Arman Tsarukyan and Urijah Faber went off the mat at #RAF08 🤯
Urijah Faber vs Umar Nurmagomedov at #RAFABUDHABI on NOV 14 at Etihad Arena
Tickets on sale now at the link in bio pic.twitter.com/97O7FdX7nK
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) October 2, 2026
Recent UFC Struggles Lead to New Path
Before the knockout loss to Yadong, Nurmagomedov had shown resilience by winning back-to-back decision victories. He defeated Mario Bautista and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in consecutive fights.
Those wins came after Nurmagomedov lost a decision to then-champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 in January 2025. That fight represented his lone shot at the UFC bantamweight title.
Nurmagomedov’s wrestling and grappling background from his time in MMA should translate well to the RAF format. As a member of the famous Nurmagomedov family, he comes from a region known for producing elite wrestlers.
Faber Searches for First RAF Victory
Urijah Faber will make his third appearance for Real American Freestyle when he faces Nurmagomedov. The former MMA champion and founder of Team Alpha Male is still looking for his first victory in the promotion.
“The California Kid” lost by technical fall to Henry Cejudo in the main event of RAF 6 in February. Two months later, he suffered another tech fall loss to Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 8.
Despite the losses, Faber continues to compete and draw interest from fans who remember his successful MMA career. The matchup with Nurmagomedov pairs two fighters with strong wrestling foundations and name recognition from their UFC days.
The RAF Abu Dhabi card features other high-profile matchups beyond Nurmagomedov and Faber. Khamzat Chimaev will defend the RAF cruiserweight crossover title against Colby Covington in the main event.
Reigning RAF light heavyweight champion Kyle Snyder will also compete on the card. Snyder, the youngest American to win a senior world wrestling title, will face Shamil Erdogan in his title defense.
Snyder has defeated four Olympic medalists over the past six months while winning and defending his championship. Erdogan, a Dagestan-born Turkish athlete with an unbeaten MMA record, will make his RAF debut.
CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein previously stated that the five-year partnership allows RAF to establish Abu Dhabi as a signature location for the promotion. The deal follows RAF’s international events in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow.
Tickets for RAF Abu Dhabi are currently on sale through Etihad Arena for the November 14 event.
