Under Dana White’s leadership, the UFC has dominated the market with its unmatched global presence. The MMA-promotion recently kicked off its historic $7.7 billion era under Paramount+ CBS, with UFC 324 taking place on January 24, 2026. However, even as the company enjoys its stronghold, a rival promotion is making moves of its own by extending a partnership with the UFC’s former broadcast partner.

In 2011, the UFC ended its partnership with Spike TV and signed a seven-year deal with FOX that brought the promotion’s fights to television. That partnership helped in breaking the UFC free from its niche status and pushing it into mainstream popularity. Now, in 2026, the UFC’s rival promotion, Real American Freestyle Wrestling, has also extended its contract with Fox Nation, FOX’s streaming service, highlighting its strong and growing relationship with the former UFC partner.

RAF extends partnership with UFC’s former partner FOX in long-term deal 

“This extension reflects the momentum we’ve been building since the first event and the incredible partnership we’ve developed. FOX Nation saw early on that there was an opportunity to give elite wrestling a true professional platform, and the audience response has continued to grow with each show,” RAF chief Chad Bronstein said as per MMA Fighting.

Real American Freestyle streamed its first event last August under the same broadcasting partner. The promotion brought together a unique mix of MMA fighters, freestyle wrestlers, and Olympians, drawing interest from both MMA and wrestling audiences. Their debut event featured UFC names like Bo Nickal and Holly Holm, along with former NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson.

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Since then, the RAF events have featured stars from combat sports, including Arman Tsarukyan, Yoel Romero, and, more recently, Abdulrashid Sadulaev. After multiple UFC stars, including Michael Chandler and Colby Covington, made their way to the mat, RAF attracted fans’ attention within the combat sports space. RAF has positioned itself as an alternative for the fighters who prefer to showcase their freestyle wrestling skills.

“RAF is reaching core wrestling fans and pulling in new ones. Elite athletes, real stories, clear stakes, and crossover matchups that bring audiences together. FOX Nation understands how to grow long-term programming, and this extension gives us the space to keep developing RAF the right way,” Bischoff said on the Fox Nation partnership as per MMA Fighting.

While complete details of the partnership are yet to be revealed, it is expected that RAF’s next numbered event, RAF 6, will stream on Fox Nation. With the success of their previous events, one of the RAF 6 event headliners already appears eager to compete on the platform. 

Henry Cejudo is excited to perform at the RAF 6 event  

Real American Freestyle Wrestling’s previous event, RAF 5, headlined by Colby Covington and Luke Rockhold, turned out to be a successful one for the company. Now the promotion has booked retired former UFC bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo, against Urijah Faber for RAF 6, set to take place on February 28, 2026, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

After representing the United States at the 2008 Olympics and ending his career last year, the former two-division UFC champion is now returning to his roots, and ‘Triple C’ appears excited about the next move.

“Real American Freestyle Wrestling is building something special and I’m honored to be a part of it. See you soon @RAFWrestlingUSA 👑👀,” Cejudo posted on social media, alongside a video clip showing him getting involved with RAF promotion ahead of his matchup.

With Henry Cejudo set to compete against fellow MMA veteran Urijah Faber under the RAF banner, the promotion is once again expected to pull solid viewership numbers. As the RAF continues to gain attention, the big question remains. Can the promotion grow into something on the scale of the UFC by relying solely on wrestling-based matchups?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.