Real American Freestyle is back for its fifth event in 2026 and ninth in promotion history. RAF 09 is being headlined by former Division 1 National Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson vs. No. 9-ranked PFL contender Alexandr Romanov in a Heavyweight contest.

This is Steveson’s first wrestling match since he lost to Wyatt Hendrickson in the 2025 National Championship. Since his collegiate wrestling career ended, Steveson has gone 4-0 with four knockouts between MMA and Dirty Boxing. Steveson recently signed with the UFC and will make his debut for the top MMA promotion on July 11 at UFC 329. Romanov lost his first contest in RAF in October 2025 against Mason Parris.

Two former UFC fighters, Colby Covington and Chris Weidman, will face off in the co-main event of this card. Covington has announced that he is done competing in the UFC and will instead focus on being active in RAF. In RAF, Covington is 2-0 in RAF with wins over Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis. Weidman is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and was an All-American while wrestling at Hofstra. This is Weidman’s first match in Real American Freestyle.

Two more former UFC Champions, Merab Dvalishvili and Frankie Edgar, are on this card. This is Dvalishvili and Edgar’s debut in RAF. Edgar, 44, last competed in combat sports at UFC 281 against Chris Gutierrez in November 2022. This is Dvalishvili’s first appearance since losing his title to Petr Yan at UFC 323 in December 2025.

How to watch

RAF 09 is airing live on Fox Nation beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.

RAF 09 Card

Heavyweight Bout: Gable Steveson vs. Alexandr Romanov

Catchweight Bout: Colby Covington vs. Chris Weidman

Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: Kyle Snyder (c) vs. Givi Matcharashvili

Lightweight Bout: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Frankie Edgar

Featherweight Championship Bout: Ibragim Ilyasov vs. Real Woods

Middleweight Bout: Christopher Minto vs. Jason Nolf

Cruiserweight Bout: Parker Keckeisen vs. Georgios Kougioumtsidis

Lightweight Bout: Zain Retherford vs. Antrell Taylor

Lightweight Bout: Ridge Lovett vs. Bajrang Punia

Catchweight Bout: Cameron Guerin vs. Lucia Yepez

Middleweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mugzy

RAF 09: FAQ

Where is RAF 09 taking place?

The event is taking place at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

What time does RAF 09 start?

RAF 09 starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30.

How can I watch RAF 09?

RAF 09 and all of their events air live on Fox Nation.