RAF Abu Dhabi: What are the rules of freestyle wrestling?

RAF (Real American Freestyle) wrestling is set to make its debut in Abu Dhabi at the Etihad Arena on November 14. Unlike WWE, RAF is unscripted and has no predetermined outcome, similar to wrestling at the Olympics. Despite this, there are still identifiable "baby faces" (good guys) and "heels" (bad guys) within the matches. Pre-match press conferences can be particularly heated.

Khamzat Chimaev, the headline fighter for the event, is renowned for his wrestling skills. He has never lost in any organisation, while his opponent, Colby Covington, is a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler. Both fighters have never lost on the mat in any wrestling competition.

The matches are scheduled in three two-minute periods, with a 30-second break between each period and no overtime. Points are awarded based on action and control: takedowns are worth 2 points, throws can earn 4 or 5 points, and failing to score within a 30-second shot clock can result in 1 point. A wrestler can win before the end of the regulation periods through a pinfall, technical fall, or decision based on the highest score. Challenges can be made to resolve scoring disputes using video review.