RAF Moscow brings MMA star power and wrestling royalty under one roof on Saturday, as Khamzat Chimaev and Tyron Woodley headline a stacked 13-bout Real American Freestyle card at Arena Mytishchi in Moscow.
The promotion’s return to Russia leans heavily into crossover intrigue. At the top of the bill, two former UFC champions step into a catchweight freestyle showdown that feels part exhibition, part referendum on where their competitive fire really sits.
Chimaev–Woodley tops a loaded Moscow showcase
Chimaev arrives for his second RAF outing with momentum and menace. In June, he flattened Dillon Danis by pinfall, a performance that looked less like a novelty booking and more like a man reacquainting himself with his wrestling roots.
Across from him stands a very different Tyron Woodley to the one who limped out of the UFC. The 42-year-old travels to Moscow on the back of a wild 14-8 comeback over Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12, where he trailed 8-1 before storming back for his first combat sports win since 2018. That rally didn’t just save a match; it reset the conversation around his competitive relevance.
Now the two collide in Moscow, a pure wrestling environment with MMA eyes all over it.
The event begins at 12 p.m. ET, with U.S. broadcast details still to be confirmed.
Titles on the line, legends on the mat
The main event may sell the posters, but the undercard reads like a world championship roll call.
Kyle Snyder, the face of American upper-weight freestyle for a decade, puts his RAF light heavyweight title on the line against Olympic champion Akhmed Tazhudinov. It’s the kind of matchup that usually belongs on a global championship bracket, not a crossover showcase. Snyder keeps his crown, grinding out an 11-5 win in a bout that lived up to its billing.
Kyle Dake, another American great, holds onto his cruiserweight belt with a razor-thin 7-6 victory over Kadik, the kind of tight, tactical scrap that has defined his career at the highest level.
On the women’s side, Kennedy Blades shows why she is being talked about as a generational force. She crushes Vusala Parfianovich by 10-0 technical fall to retain the women’s middleweight championship, a ruthless, one-way display of pressure and precision.
Burroughs, Sadulaev, Nickal and a deep supporting cast
Jordan Burroughs, one of the most decorated names in modern wrestling, adds another dominant chapter, overwhelming Magomed Kurbanaliev by 10-0 technical fall at middleweight. The scoreline tells the story: Burroughs still knows how to shut the door on world-class opposition.
Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a towering figure in Russian wrestling, meets Zac Braunagel at light heavyweight in a marquee non-title bout, a clash that underlines RAF’s intent to blend domestic icons with international names.
Bo Nickal, already a rising star in MMA, keeps his wrestling credentials sharp with an 11-7 win over Shirvani Muradov at light heavyweight, reminding everyone that before the knockouts came the takedowns.
Shara Magomedov adds more crossover flavor, turning back Neiman Gracie 11-3 at cruiserweight, while Vito Arujau delivers one of the most lopsided performances of the night, dismantling Soslan Ramonov 13-3 by technical fall at featherweight.
Yusuf Raisov dominates Marif Piraev 12-2 by technical fall at middleweight, and Kennedy Blades’ emphatic defense sits alongside those results as part of a broader theme: the pure wrestlers largely owned the stage.
Jason Nolf edges Ismail Khaniev on criteria in a 5-5 catchweight nail-biter, the kind of bout where every scramble feels decisive. At heavyweight, Pouya Rahmani gets past Anatoly Malykhin 10-3, a statement win over another crossover name with serious MMA credentials.
Zahid Valencia and Ibragim Kadiev square off at cruiserweight in another high-level pairing, adding depth to a card that rarely dips below elite.
A card with consequences
RAF Moscow is more than a one-night spectacle. It is a test bed for how far this hybrid model of wrestling and MMA star power can stretch, and how long legends like Woodley, Chimaev, Burroughs, Sadulaev, Snyder and Dake can keep reshaping their legacies on the mat.
For some, it’s a return to roots. For others, it’s a bridge to something new.
For all of them, it’s a reminder: in Moscow this weekend, there is nowhere to hide once the whistle blows.
