Gable Steveson has his first Real American Freestyle matchup, and it is a serious one. The Olympic gold medalist is set to face Alexandr Romanov in the RAF 09 main event on May 30 in Arlington, Texas. The same card also adds Chris Weidman vs. Colby Covington in the co-main event.
The card now has two different selling points. Steveson vs. Romanov is a heavyweight wrestling matchup with real strength and real pedigree. Weidman vs. Covington brings in two longtime UFC names and gives RAF another crossover fight with instant name value.
Here is the announcement below.
Gable Stevenson gets his first matchup against Alexandr Romanov 👀
At #RAF09 on May 30th pic.twitter.com/SBttsSS4NP
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 7, 2026
🚨 Colby Covington vs. Chris Weidman is set to be the co-main event for RAF 09 on May 30th at catchweight.
(via @RAFWrestlingUSA) pic.twitter.com/JD9YK7GZLB
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 7, 2026
Steveson has been one of the most watched wrestlers to move toward MMA in recent years. He won Olympic gold, built a 3-0 pro MMA record, and signed with RAF after months of talk about where he would compete next. Romanov is not there to make his debut easy. He is a former UFC heavyweight, now a PFL fighter, and the event release also points to his freestyle wrestling background.
RAF 09 adds real wrestling and UFC history
Weidman brings a different kind of history to this card. He is the former UFC middleweight champion who ended Anderson Silva’s long title run, and his style was always built on wrestling before anything else. That makes him a clean fit for this format, even if the matchup still feels unusual at first glance.
Covington already has RAF experience after beating Dillon Danis at RAF 07, and he has spent most of his MMA career using pace, pressure, and chain wrestling. That carries over well to a card like this. It also gives RAF another familiar face after the promotion already booked Arman Tsarukyan vs. Urijah Faber for RAF 08.
RAF started as a freestyle wrestling platform, but it keeps leaning harder into MMA names. With Steveson making his debut, Romanov coming in as a tough opponent, and Weidman joining Covington on the same lineup, RAF 09 has more weight than a standard novelty card.
The May 30 event takes place at College Park Center in Arlington and is expected to stream on FOX Nation.
