Overview
- RAF 9, which took place Saturday, May 30, ended with marquee wins including Gable Steveson’s 10-0 technical fall over Alexandr Romanov, Arman Tsarukyan’s 16-5 tech fall over Mugzy, Merab Dvalishvili’s 12-1 tech fall over Frankie Edgar, and Colby Covington’s 5-4 decision over Chris Weidman.
- RAF confirmed seconds after the Arlington card that Covington and Tsarukyan will headline RAF 11 on July 18 at Milwaukee’s UWM Panther Arena in a cruiserweight main event.
- Covington announced his retirement from UFC competition earlier in May, a move that removed an informal barrier to facing active UFC-contracted fighters and enabled RAF to book the matchup.
- Tsarukyan remains active across promotions, entering RAF 10 on June 13 against Tony Ferguson and serving as a UFC backup in the near term, while Steveson—who was nearly 30 pounds lighter than Romanov at the weigh-ins—is headed to a UFC debut on July 11.
- RAF is using on‑mat results and live callouts to convert moments into headline matchups, a model that raises scheduling and contractual frictions as fighters balance RAF appearances with ongoing UFC plans and career aims.