In its 30 years of existence, the UFC has dominated the MMA market to the point where it faces little to no real competition. Still, even with the UFC’s strong grip, other leagues like Real American Freestyle Wrestling have started to make a name for themselves, becoming the UFC’s rival. With its popularity growing, a former two-division champion has high praise for it, while also providing an option for retired MMA fighters.  

Last year, the RAF held its inaugural event in August, starring UFC names like Bo Nickal and Holly Holm, along with freestyle wrestling talents such as Wyatt Hendrickson and Mostafa Aly Elsayed Gabr. Because of that combination, fans really appreciated the format and have stayed hooked since. Now, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, who is set to clash with Urijah Faber at RAF 6, believes the promotion is reaching a point where it can become a platform for combat athletes to perform without putting their lives at risk inside an Octagon.

Henry Cejudo speaks highly of the UFC’s rival RAF league

“It’s fun, Kamaru. The Real American Freestyle. The event is absolutely like professional wrestling could be a thing, Kamaru, which is crazy, bro. It’s crazy to know that in our lifetime, we don’t have to fight anymore. The Real American Freestyle could be a game-changer for everybody who doesn’t want to fight and wants to continue to keep wrestling,” ‘Triple C’ stated at the Pound for Pound podcast.

Recently, two-time Olympic gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev signed with RAF, putting his MMA rumors to rest. Many believed the Russian freestyle wrestler would have found success inside a cage, which is still possible. But instead, Sadulaev chose to pursue his love for freestyle mat wrestling. Now, he also has a popular platform to showcase his skills in front of a wider audience. That gives real weight to Cejudo’s statement. But that is not the only thing the retired UFC star appreciated.

Top Stories

Who Is Arman Tsarukyan’s Father? Nairi Tsarukyan’s Net Worth, Profession & Businesses

UFC 324: Former Champ’s Comeback Fight Replaces Harrison vs. Nunes as Co-Main Event

Amanda Nunes’ Alleged Cousin Knocks Out Violent Customer Outside Bar as Fans Urge Dana White to Sign Her

Kayla Harrison–Amanda Nunes Fight Falls Apart Days Before UFC 324 as Dana White Dealt Major Blow

Dana White Under Added Pressure as Another Fight Cancellation Strikes UFC 325

Moreover, the former two-weight title holder also praised the promotion’s marketing. He highlighted how the RAF brought in UFC stars, both active and retired, to attract both wrestling fans and UFC audiences.

“The amount of views, I mean, they just did everything right. They had events right before, with no UFC cards. Like, 60% of the crowd are UFC fans, and 40% are actually wrestling fans. And it’s full, dude. It’s a full arena. It’s a treat to be able to see that. So the marketing is being done,” Cejudo added.

RAF has now become a league where former UFC fighters like Yoel Romero and Eddie Alvarez have found fresh popularity. Along with them, the promotion has also managed to feature active UFC fighters like Arman Tsarukyan and Bo Nickal, which has only added to the spectacle. With that said, one of RAF’s founders recently addressed the need for creating such a league.

The Real American Freestyle Wrestling founder opens up on the league’s aim  

It has to be recognized that wrestling is already a popular sport in America. The country has college freestyle wrestling and professional wrestling through WWE and RAF, and finding its place naturally raises a curious question. Why create such a spectacle? Well, according to league founder Chad Bronstein, the vision is simple. All that effort is to bring more eyes to the sport.

“It’s important, because those guys have went out and girls like Holly Holm, they went out and build great brands for themselves, and now they’re coming back to the sport they love. The point of it is to generate new eye balls to art, to the sport of wrestling, which is what needs to happen for wrestling to grow. Having them involved allows more eyeballs coming in, it also showcases their love for the sport,” the RAF founder said in an interview.

Bronstein also used Holly Holm as a strong example. Her bout against Alejandra Rivera Arriaga at RAF 01 showed that women would have a real platform in the league as well. So, as the promotion moves ahead with several more events in 2026, the expectation is that it will continue to build on moments like RAF 5, where Colby Covington’s domination over Luke Rockhold became one of the biggest highlights.

That said, with Real American Freestyle Wrestling continuing to grow, do you think it could ever challenge the UFC’s domination? Let us know in the comments section below.