Michael Chandler is taking a short break from UFC action to step onto the wrestling mat once again. The lightweight contender will square off with Chad Mendes, a former UFC featherweight title challenger, at Real American Freestyle 3 on November 29 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The match will air live on Fox Nation and feature three rounds of two minutes each.
Both athletes are reconnecting with their original sport — collegiate wrestling. Mendes, who competed for Cal Poly, earned two NCAA Division I All-American honors, while Chandler, representing the University of Missouri, became an All-American, a two-time Big 12 runner-up, and achieved over 100 career wins.
Chandler vs. Mendes on the mat 🤯
Before they were MMA superstars, they were college wrestling greats. Now, Michael Chandler and Chad Mendes return to where it all began.
Watch RAF03 exclusively on @foxnation November 29th in Chicago pic.twitter.com/kx0oDm1UZW
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) October 27, 2025
“Bringing Chandler Mendes to the RAF mat is a full-circle moment for wrestling,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and co-founder of Real American Freestyle. “These are world-class fighters who never lost their connection to the sport that made them. This matchup proves what RAF is all about – giving elite athletes a platform to come home and remind the world where greatness begins.”
Founded in 2025 by Chad Bronstein, Terri Francis, and the late Terry Bollea (known to fans as Hulk Hogan), Real American Freestyle (RAF) was created to highlight wrestling as a professional sport in its own right, giving accomplished fighters and wrestlers a chance to reconnect with their base discipline.
A Platform Where UFC Fighters Can Still Compete
In partnership with USA Wrestling, RAF permits UFC athletes to participate regardless of contractual status. That collaboration helped the promotion feature Bo Nickal, who defeated Jacob Cardenas at RAF 1 in Cleveland last August. Nickal is expected to compete again following his fight at UFC 322 in New York City.
Other UFC and MMA names connected with RAF include Julianna Peña, Holly Holm, Chael Sonnen, Lance Palmer, Darrion Caldwell, and multiple NCAA standouts such as Kyle Dake and Wyatt Hendrickson. The promotion’s second event earlier this month featured Mason Parris, Pat Downey, and Alexandr Romanov, continuing its momentum in blending wrestling with MMA talent.
“For the first time, wrestlers have real options after college. RAF gives them a new lane to compete, get paid and keep doing what they love,” said Izzy Martinez, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of RAF. “Having legends like Mendes and Chandler join the roster shows how powerful that opportunity is.”
Chandler, 39, remains an active UFC fighter awaiting his next bout, while Mendes, 40, was a Pac-10 champion in 2008 and an NCAA Division I runner-up before transitioning to mixed martial arts. Both see RAF as a celebration of their roots and a chance to reconnect with pure competition.
Real American Freestyle 3: Current Match Card
- Michael Chandler vs. Chad Mendes
- Bo Bassett vs. Darrion Caldwell
Additional matches are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks as RAF continues expanding its brand and athlete roster.
