Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo comes out on top in RAF06 main event
Tempe, AZ (February 28, 2026) – Real American Freestyle (RAF), the first unscripted pro-wrestling league for the best athletes in the world, held its sixth event, RAF06, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ. Under the leadership of co-founders Chad Bronstein, Izzy Martinez andEric Bischoff, Real American Freestyle delivered another memorable night. RAF06 streamed exclusively on FOX Nation before a sold-out crowd, with support from partners Real American Beer, Takedown and Novartis.
RAF06 results:
● Mugzy secured his first Real American Freestyle victory in dominant fashion, upsetting MMA Hall of Famer Clay Guida. The match ended 13-3 in the second round.
● Jordan Oliver delivered in typical fashion, pulling away late in the third round to defeat Beau Bartlett 5-3 in his hometown return.
● Arizona State Sun Devil Zahid Valencia energized the home crowd with a first-round technical fall, defeating Mahmoud Sebie 10-0.
● Evan Wick controlled all three rounds against Kadik, earning a 13-2 technical fall victory and continuing his push toward the top of the middleweight rankings.
● Tajmuraz Salkazanov prevailed in a defensive battle against Keegan O’Toole, spoiling O’Toole’s RAF debut with a 9-2 decision through three rounds.● Lucia Guzman closed out a chippy matchup against high school standout Everest Leydecker with a 10-3 victory, silencing the Arizona crowd.
● Givi Matcharashvili outlasted red-hot Stephen Buchanan in a true test of stamina, winning on the last point scored in a 3-3 thriller that left both competitors exhausted on the mat.
● Andrew Alirez weathered flashy offense from MMA mainstay Bryce Meredith en route to a convincing 13-2 technical fall in the second round for an outstanding debut.
● Reigning welterweight champion “King” David Carr retained his title with poise after Bubba Jenkins jumped out early with a gator roll. Carr pulled away for a 13-2 technical fall in the second round.
● Last-minute addition Aljamain “Funkmaster” Sterling delivered a statement performance in his RAF debut, defeating fellow former UFC champion Benson Henderson by 13-2 technical fall early in the third round.
● In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan defeated Georgio Poullas by a 5-2 margin in a heated, hard-fought battle that concluded with extracurricular activity between the two competitors.
● In the main event, Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo quickly silenced any doubt from Urijah Faber, racing to an early lead before securing an 11-0 technical fall victory.
● Immediately following the bout, Merab Dvalishvili verbally accepted Cejudo’s challenge to headline RAF08 in Philadelphia this April.
Early in the card, co-founder Eric Bischoff introduced combat sports star Colby Covington, who confirmed his participation in next month’s RAF07 in Tampa. Covington is coming off a successful RAF debut in January, where he defeated Luke Rockhold via technical fall. Earlierthis week, he also announced a long-term partnership with Real American Beer as a brand ambassador and equity partner, further reinforcing the brand’s positioning as “The Beer of Wrestling.”
Following David Carr’s title defense, he shared a moment cageside with newly signed star Merab Dvalishvili, who was in attendance ahead of his anticipated RAF08 headlining debut in Philadelphia later this spring. Carr and Dvalishvili were also joined in the front row by fellowUFC standout and fan favorite “Sugar” Sean O’Malley.
Expert analysis and commentary were once again led by Cyrus Fees, Kurt Angle, Chael Sonnen and Julianna Peña, whose combined combat sports pedigree kept fans engaged throughout the night. The league also hosted a pre-event press conference and a post-eventmedia availability featuring co-main event and main event competitors.
Quotes:
● “I’m in it. You guys [Chad and Izzy] challenged me. I appreciate what you guys are doing. The events are absolutely amazing … I’m just blown away,” said Henry Cejudo on his commitment to RAF.
● Cejudo continued on to say, “I’m just so proud of the sport and thankful for Eric Bischoff, Chad, and Izzy who are really bringing this sport to where it’s not just going to be NFL Sundays – it’s going to be wrestling every day.”
● “What we like to do at Real American Freestyle is to try and keep the sport of wrestling as pure as we can,” said co-founder Izzy Martinez on adopting a different weigh-in structure to other MMA competitions.
