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Real American Freestyle 08 will be the promotion's first-ever event in Philadelphia on 4/18, taking place at The Liacoras Center.
Merab Dvalishvili is the first confirmed competitor for the event.
The eighth RAF event streams live on FOX Nation Saturday, April 18, continuing the league’s rapid 2026 expansion
PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 24, 2026) — Real American Freestyle (RAF), the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league, today announced that RAF08 will take place at Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center on Saturday, April 18, streaming live exclusively on FOX Nation. The 10,000-seat arena — located on the campus of Temple University — becomes the latest major venue to host RAF as the league continues its expansion into premier markets across the country.
Headlining RAF08 is MMA bantamweight standout Merab Dvalishvili, making his official RAF debut. Prior to December 2025, Dvalishvili built a 14-fight win streak — the longest in UFC bantamweight history — and holds the record for most takedowns in UFC history. Known for his grappling dominance, his pace and pedigree bring one of combat sports’ most dominant athletes onto wrestling’s new main stage.
All RAF events stream exclusively on FOX Nation. Additional matchups for RAF08 will be announced in the coming weeks. Pre-sale tickets will go live on Wednesday February 25th, with general on-sale on Friday February 27th. Fans can sign up for pre-sale access at realamericanfreestyle.com
“Philadelphia is a fight city, and RAF belongs on the biggest stages,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Real American Freestyle. “Merab is elite, relentless, and rooted in wrestling. When athletes of his caliber step onto the RAF stage, it reinforces what this league represents — the professional home for the sport’s best.”
RAF08 continues a red-hot start to 2026. RAF06 takes place this Saturday in Tempe, Arizona, headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber in front of a sold out crowd. RAF07 follows March 28 at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, featuring Kyle Dake vs. Parker Keckeisen, Bo Bassett vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili, and more. The day after RAF07, Sunday March 29th, RAF will also host a wrestling clinic, where young fans and aspiring wrestlers will be able to train with and be coached by RAF athletes. More information will be announced soon.
In January, Real American Freestyle extended its exclusive media partnership with FOX Nation through a multi-year agreement. Amazon Prime Subscribers also now have the option to bundle Fox Nation with the Fox One streaming service in a single subscription on Prime Video, giving "cord-cutters" access to the complete portfolio of Fox’s leading news, sports and entertainment content all in one app for $24.99 monthly. RAF is a top subscription driver for FOX Nation, generating more than 170 billion earned media impressions and over 500 million organic social views to date. The league has also surpassed seven figures in both ticket and merchandise revenue as it continues to scale.
RAF also continues to expand beyond live events, including the recent launch of its second-edition trading card collection which features rare foil parallels and true one-of-one relic cards that include match-worn gear. Trading cards can be purchased online here.
Additional matchups for RAF08 will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information and updates, visit www.realamericanfreestyle.com or follow @RAFWrestlingUSA on all platforms.
About Real American Freestyle
Real American Freestyle (RAF) is the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league—and the new professional home for the sport’s elite. Founded by Chad Bronstein, Israel Martinez, and Eric Bischoff, RAF launched in 2025 to give Olympic champions, World Champions, NCAA standouts, and top MMA crossover athletes a global platform to compete at the highest level.
RAF brings freestyle wrestling to a modern fight-night stage, competing under USA Wrestling rules with real stakes, high-level production, and broadcast storytelling built for today’s audience. RAF allows athletes to build careers, grow personal brands, and reach a global fanbase. All RAF events stream live exclusively on FOX Nation.
For more information, visit www.realamericanfreestyle.com.
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