The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the UAE Wrestling Federation signed a five-year partnership with Real American Freestyle (RAF), an official statement from DCT Abu Dhabi said on Monday.
The new partnership will bring elite RAF events to Abu Dhabi.
The first event will take place on November 14 at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena where global superstar Khamzat Chimaev will be in action.
The organisers will announce the name of Chimaev’s opponent in the coming weeks.
Arman Tsarukyan, Henry Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, and Abdulrashid Sadulaev are the other big names confirmed for the first event.
Having tasted great success in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow, Russia, RAF is now excited to bring the elite event to the UAE Capital.
“From day one, our ambition has been to bring RAF to the world’s great sports markets, and there is no better place for this next chapter than Abu Dhabi,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and Co-Founder of RAF.
“Abu Dhabi is one of the premier destinations for combat sports, with the vision and infrastructure to deliver events that resonate globally. This five-year partnership gives us the opportunity to make RAF Abu Dhabi a signature event and build something meaningful for athletes, fans and the region for years to come.”
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan bin Saeed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Secretary General of the UAE Wrestling Federation, said the partnership is an important step for wrestling in the UAE.
“Bringing world-class athletes and international events to Abu Dhabi will not only strengthen the country’s position on the global wrestling stage, but also inspire the next generation of athletes and support the long-term development of the sport,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
“We look forward to working with Real American Freestyle and DCT Abu Dhabi to build a lasting platform for wrestling in the UAE and create meaningful opportunities for athletes and fans.”
The announcement underlines RAF’s commitment to bringing high-profile wrestling events to the middle east.
“Abu Dhabi has established a strong reputation as a global destination for major sporting events, and we are pleased to welcome Real American Freestyle as a new addition to our world class events calendar,” said Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi.
“This five-year partnership reflects our ambition to bring more high-profile sporting properties to the emirate while giving fans in Abu Dhabi and visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience elite combat sports in a world-class setting. We look forward to building on this partnership and making RAF Abu Dhabi a fixture on our sporting calendar.”
Source: Khaleej Times