According to Ariel Helwani, former WWE star Gable Steveson has signed a multi-match deal with Real American Freestyle (RAF) and will make his debut for the promotion at RAF 9. Helwani also mentioned that RAF is looking to sign some big names to face Steveson.
It has been revealed that Steveson’s first opponent will not be the RAF Heavyweight Champion, Wyatt Hendrickson, who defeated Steveson in the final match of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling National Championships. Instead, RAF is planning to work up to that matchup.
Steveson is an Olympic gold medalist and a former WWE star. He was released from WWE in May 2024 and briefly pursued a career in professional football before making his MMA debut at LFA 217 in September of last year. He currently holds a 3-0 professional MMA record.
Real American Freestyle (RAF) was founded in April and airs on the Fox Nation streaming service. WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff serves as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.
The promotion held its first event, RAF 1, in August of last year, and its most recent event, RAF 6, took place in February, headlined by a match between UFC alumni Henry Cejudo and Urijah Faber. RAF 9 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 30th, in Dallas, Texas.
