RAF Abu Dhabi: What are the rules of freestyle wrestling?
RAF wrestling makes its Abu Dhabi debut at Etihad Arena on Saturday, November 14. Unlike the WWE, RAF (Real American Freestyle) is the real thing, meaning it's unscripted and does not have a predetermined outcome. Think wrestling at the Olympics, not Netflix. That's not to say there aren't baby faces (the good guys) and heels (the bad guys). And the pre-match press conferences can be pretty…
RAF (Real American Freestyle) wrestling is set to make its debut in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, November 14, at the Etihad Arena. Unlike scripted events like the WWE, RAF matches are unscripted and have genuine outcomes. The matches feature baby faces and heels, similar to wrestling at the Olympics. Pre-match press conferences have been known to become quite heated.
Khamzat Chimaev, who will face Colby Covington for the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship, was involved in a brawl after a previous match. Chimaev won the bout after just 44 seconds, but was upset that Danis applied a chokehold. He kicked Danis in the backside, leading to a mass brawl between members of both teams.
The RAF wrestling format consists of three two-minute periods, with a 30-second break between each period and no overtime. Points are awarded for takedowns, throws, and step-out or push-out actions. A wrestler can win by pinfall, technical fall, or decision after the full match distance. There is a challenge system in place for scoring decisions and a passivity and activity clock for passive competitors.
This RAF Abu Dhabi card features UFC stars Khamzat Chimaev, Colby Covington, Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Julianna Pena, among others.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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