Real American Freestyle has signed one of the all-time great wrestlers to their roster.
Promotional officials confirmed with MMA Fighting that RAF has signed Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and six-time world champion to an exclusive agreement with the company.
“Abdulrashid Sadulaev is one of the most dominant athletes the sport of wrestling has ever produced,” RAF CEO Chad Bronstein said. “His decision to sign exclusively with RAF is a clear signal that the top tier of the sport now sees RAF as the professional destination. This accelerates our position with broadcasters, partners, and fans as we continue to scale the platform globally.”
Sadulaev captured Olympic gold for Russia in 2016 and 2020 while competing at 86kg and later 97kg. His second gold medal victory came over American Kyle Snyder after he fell to the Ohio State veteran in the finals of the World Championships in 2017.
Overall, Sadulaev has picked up three wins over Snyder during his career while also holding a victory over David Taylor, who also captured an Olympic gold medal for the United States. He was not allowed to compete at the 2024 Olympics due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“The Russian Tank” is only one of two wrestlers in history to capture World Championships in three different weight classes, and currently holds a freestyle record of 160-6.
“When the best wrestler of his generation chooses to compete exclusively at RAF, it validates what we’re
building,” RAF COO Izzy Martinez said. “This is a truly monumental signing and shows that the best athletes in the world feel they need to be a part of RAF. We are professionalizing wrestling at the highest level, and becoming the place where the sport’s future is being shaped.”
As of now, a promotional debut for Sadulaev has not been announced.
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