Umar Nurmagomedov to make RAF debut against Urijah Faber in Abu Dhabi
In short
Umar Nurmagomedov will make his Real American Freestyle (RAF) debut against Urijah Faber at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on November 14, on the undercard of Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover title. Reigning RAF light heavyweight champion Kyle Snyder also features on the card against Shamil Erdogan, who is making his RAF debut. The event opens a five-year partnership between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation, with tickets on sale through Etihad Arena.
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Umar Nurmagomedov will make his Real American Freestyle (RAF) debut against Urijah Faber at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on November 14, according to the event's announcement. The bout sits on the undercard of a headline match between Khamzat Chimaev and American Colby Covington for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover title. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Nurmagomedov, a Dagestan native and a member of the Nurmagomedov family, brings a wrestling and grappling background and has seven submission wins in MMA, the outlets said; The National also listed his MMA record as 20-2. Gulf News reported he takes the RAF bout after a knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Fight Night on August 29. Faber, known as “The California Kid”, is a former MMA champion and the founder of Team Alpha Male, and returns for his third RAF match. Gulf News reported he lost his first two RAF matches, against Henry Cejudo and Arman Tsarukyan, and will be looking for his first win in the promotion. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Also on the card, reigning RAF light heavyweight champion Kyle Snyder will face Shamil Erdogan. Snyder became the youngest American to win a senior world wrestling title and, over the past six months, has defeated four fellow Olympic medallists while winning and defending his RAF light heavyweight title, according to the announcements. Erdogan, a Dagestan-born Turkish athlete with a freestyle wrestling background and an unbeaten professional MMA record, will also make his RAF debut on November 14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
WAM said tickets are now on sale exclusively through Etihad Arena. The event marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation, The National and Gulf News reported, and follows RAF events in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow. RAF chief executive and co-founder Chad Bronstein said earlier that “Abu Dhabi is one of the premier destinations for combat sports, with the vision and infrastructure to deliver events that resonate globally”, and that the partnership gives the promotion the chance to make RAF Abu Dhabi “a signature event” and build something meaningful for athletes, fans and the region. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The card brings an international combat sports promotion to Abu Dhabi for the first of a five-year agreement with the emirate's tourism department and the UAE Wrestling Federation, in the same arena that hosts major UFC events. For local readers it is a scheduled entertainment and tourism fixture rather than a competitive result; the documents give no further basis for significance beyond the announced partnership and ticket sales.
Key facts
- Umar Nurmagomedov will make his RAF debut against Urijah Faber at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on November 14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event will be headlined by Khamzat Chimaev against American Colby Covington for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover title. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Reigning RAF light heavyweight champion Kyle Snyder will face Shamil Erdogan, who will also make his RAF debut in Abu Dhabi. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Tickets are on sale through Etihad Arena, which WAM and Gulf News said is the exclusive sales channel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The card marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Nurmagomedov has seven submission wins in MMA, and The National listed his MMA record as 20-2. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Faber, a former MMA champion and founder of Team Alpha Male, returns for his third RAF match. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nurmagomedov will fight Faber at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on November 14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Chimaev and Covington headline the card for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover title. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Snyder, the reigning RAF light heavyweight champion, will fight Erdogan on the same card. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Tickets are on sale through Etihad Arena. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Nurmagomedov has seven submission wins in MMA. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Faber is returning for his third RAF match. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event begins a five-year partnership between RAF, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Nurmagomedov's overall MMA record of 20-2 is reported only by The National. Single-source figure; WAM and Gulf News give only his seven submission wins.
- Ticket prices, the full bout list and whether further fights will be added to the card. Not addressed in any of the documents.
- Whether Nurmagomedov's RAF deal covers more than this single fight. The documents describe only the November 14 debut.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The National publishes the first report on Nurmagomedov's RAF debut and the November 14 Abu Dhabi card. [ 1 ]
- WAM, the Emirates News Agency, announces the card including the headline Chimaev-Covington bout. [ 2 ]
- Gulf News reports on the undercard bout, adding Nurmagomedov's August 29 UFC loss and Faber's two previous RAF defeats. [ 3 ]