Tyron Woodley returned to competitive wrestling with a comeback that looked impossible one period earlier. The former UFC welterweight champion erased an 8-1 deficit and beat Joaquin Buckley 14-8 at RAF 12 on Saturday night inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Buckley was two points from a technical fall after the opening period. Woodley then scored 13 unanswered points, including six in the closing seconds, to win his Real American Freestyle debut. RAF’s official video post shows the comeback sequence.
WOODLEY COMPLETES THE 0-8 COMEBACK 🤯
Watch on @foxnation pic.twitter.com/Zio08C8lrR
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) August 23, 2026
The official RAF result post is below.
Tyron Woodley Turns An 8-1 Deficit Into A 14-8 Win
The first period belonged to Buckley after Woodley opened the scoring with a one-point step-out. Buckley answered with a four-point action and then another four-point toss with Woodley’s arm trapped. That put Buckley ahead 8-1 and left the former UFC champion one takedown away from losing by technical fall.
Woodley finally changed the match in the second period. He neutralized a Buckley attack with underhooks, collected a step-out point, and then used a front headlock to push Buckley out again. A four-point gut-wrench sequence before the horn cut the score to 8-7.
The comeback accelerated in the final period. Another step-out tied the score 8-8 with roughly 20 seconds remaining. Woodley then produced a four-point action and added two more points before time expired, completing a 13-point run and sealing the 14-8 decision.
RAF’s official booking post shows the matchup announced for Woodley’s return to the mat.
Woodley Says He Needed The RAF 12 Comeback
Woodley told RAF interviewer Chael Sonnen that the comeback broke a pattern that followed him through his wrestling career.
“It felt good,” Woodley said. “If I ever got taken down first, if I ever lost the first round, I lost. Tonight, down [eight points], I won! I definitely needed this match.”
The result gives Woodley a needed win after the former UFC champion said before RAF 12 that he had never retired from MMA and still planned to compete. It also gives him momentum before another freestyle assignment already on the calendar.
Woodley is booked to face UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev at RAF Moscow on September 5. Buckley, meanwhile, leaves Cleveland after nearly ending the match early but surrendering the final 13 points.
The upset was the second major crossover result on the card after Max McEnelly edged Bo Nickal 3-2 at RAF 12. Woodley’s rally supplied the night’s biggest comeback before the championship matches began.
