List of Real American Freestyle champions
(Redirected from RAF Legends Championship)
Overview
[edit]Real American Freestyle (RAF) champions have been crowned in various weight classes, and this is a history of their reigns.
Current champions
[edit]RAF champions as of June 13, 2026.[1]
Men
[edit]| Division | Weight | Champion | Since | Days | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 285 lb (129 kg) |  Wyatt Hendrickson |
August 30, 2025 | 333 | 2 |
| Light Heavyweight | 215 lb (98 kg) | Kyle Snyder |
March 28, 2026 | 123 | 3 |
| Cruiserweight | 190 lb (86 kg) | Kyle Dake |
August 30, 2025 | 333 | 3 |
| Middleweight | 175 lb (79 kg) | Dean Hamiti |
December 20, 2025 | 221 | 0 |
| Welterweight | 165 lb (75 kg) | David Carr |
October 25, 2025 | 277 | 1 |
| Lightweight | 155 lb (70 kg) | vacant | — | — | — |
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg) | Real Woods |
May 30, 2026 | 60 | 0 |
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg) | Austin DeSanto |
January 10, 2026 | 200 | 1 |
Women
[edit]| Division | Weight | Champion | Since | Days | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 150 lb (68 kg) | Kennedy Blades |
November 29, 2025 | 242 | 2 |
| Bantamweight | 130 lb (59 kg) | Helen Maroulis |
October 25, 2025 | 277 | 1 |
| Strawweight | 120 lb (54 kg) |  Lucía Yépez |
June 13, 2026 | 46 | 1 |
Men's championship history
[edit]Heavyweight Championship
[edit]216 to 285 lb (98 to 129 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyatt Hendrickson def. Mostafa Elders[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 333 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Mason Parris at RAF 04 on Dec 20, 2025[3] 2. def. Trent Hillger at RAF 07 on Mar 28, 2026[4] |
Light Heavyweight Championship
[edit]191 to 215 lb (87 to 98 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bo Nickal def. Jacob Cardenas[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 181 days | |
| — |  Yoel Romerodef. Pat Downey for interim title[3] |
RAF 04 Fishers, IN, US |
Dec 20, 2025 | — | |
| Romero was stripped of the interim title on January 10, 2026, after missing weight at RAF 05.[5] | |||||
| Nickal was stripped of the title on February 27, 2026, after the weight class changed from 205 lb to 215 lb[6] | |||||
| 2 | Kyle Snyder def. Akhmed Tazhudinov[4] |
RAF 07 Tampa, FL, US |
Mar 28, 2026 | 123 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Rizabek Aitmukhan at RAF 08 on Apr 18, 2026[7] 2. def. Givi Matcharashvili at RAF 09 on May 30, 2026[8] 3. def. Abdulrashid Sadulaev at RAF Georgia on Jul 11, 2026[9] |
Cruiserweight Championship
[edit]176 to 190 lb (80 to 86 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Dake def. Dean Hamiti[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 333 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Boris Makoev at RAF 02 on Oct 25, 2025[10] 2. def. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau at RAF 05 on Jan 10, 2026[11] 3. def. Parker Keckeisen at RAF 07 on Mar 28, 2026[4] |
Middleweight Championship
[edit]166 to 175 lb (75 to 79 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evan Wick def. Jason Nolf[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 112 days | |
| 2 | Dean Hamiti[3] |
RAF 04 Fishers, IN, US |
Dec 20, 2025 | 186 days | |
| Hamiti was stripped of the title on June 23, 2026.[12] | |||||
Welterweight Championship
[edit]156 to 165 lb (71 to 75 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Carr def. Amr Reda Hussen[10] |
RAF 02 State College, PA, US |
Oct 25, 2025 | 277 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Bubba Jenkins at RAF 06 on Feb 28, 2026[13] |
Lightweight Championship
[edit]146 to 155 lb (66 to 70 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yianni Diakomihalis def. Bajrang Punia[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 225 days | |
| Diakomihalis was stripped of the title on April 12, 2026.[14] | |||||
Featherweight Championship
[edit]136 to 145 lb (62 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Woods def. Darrion Caldwell[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 91 days | |
| 2 | Jordan Oliver[15] |
RAF 03 Chicago, IL, US |
Nov 29, 2025 | 42 days | |
| Oliver was stripped of the title on January 10, 2026, after missing weight at RAF 05.[5] | |||||
| 3 | Real Woods (2) def. Ibragim Ilyasov[8] |
RAF 09 Arlington, TX, US |
May 30, 2026 | 60 days (incumbent) |
|
Bantamweight Championship
[edit]126 to 135 lb (57 to 61 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Tomasello def. Matt Ramos[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 133 days | 1. def. Matt Ramos at RAF 02 on Oct 25, 2025[10] |
| 2 | Austin DeSanto[11] |
RAF 05 Sunrise, FL, US |
Jan 10, 2026 | 200 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Reineri Andreu at RAF 10 on June 13, 2026[16] |
Women's championship history
[edit]Women's Middleweight Championship
[edit]141 to 150 lb (64 to 68 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennedy Blades def. Alejandra Rivera[15] |
RAF 03 Chicago, IL, US |
Nov 29, 2025 | 242 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Alara Boyd at RAF 04 on Dec 20, 2025[3] 2. def. Milana Dudieva at RAF 07 on Mar 28, 2026[4] |
Women's Bantamweight Championship
[edit]121 to 130 lb (55 to 59 kg)
- The Women's Bantamweight Championship was known as the Women's Flyweight Championship prior to RAF 08.
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helen Maroulis def. Samantha Stewart[10] |
RAF 02 State College, PA, US |
Oct 25, 2025 | 277 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Alexis Janiak at RAF 08 on Apr 18, 2026[7] |
Women's Strawweight Championship
[edit]111 to 120 lb (50 to 54 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah Hildebrandt def. Zeltzin Hernandez[2] |
RAF 01 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 30, 2025 | 333 days | |
| — | Lucía Yépez def. Kendra Ryan for interim title[16] |
RAF 10 St. Louis, MO, US |
Jun 13, 2026 | 46 days | |
| Hildebrandt was stripped of the title on June 23, 2026.[17] | |||||
| 2 | Lucía Yépez promoted to undisputed champion. |
— | Jun 23, 2026 | 36 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Felicity Taylor at RAF 11 on Jul 18, 2026 |
Crossover Championship History
[edit]The RAF created the Crossover Cruiserweight Championship titles as a symbolic special attraction title for athletes crossing over from other sports to compete on the RAF mats. The belt allows non‑RAF competitors, including former UFC fighters, collegiate wrestlers, grapplers, and other crossover athletes, to participate in featured bouts without entering the official cruiserweight rankings or affecting the divisional title lineage.[18]
Cruiserweight Crossover Championship
[edit]176 to 190 lb (80 to 86 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colby Covington def. Arman Tsarukyan |
RAF 11 Milwaukee, WI, US |
July 18, 2026 | 13 days (incumbent) |
Lightweight Crossover Championship
[edit]146 to 155 lb (66 to 70 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBD def. TBD |
RAF 12 Cleveland, OH, US |
August 22, 2026 |
Honorary championship history
[edit]Legends Championship
[edit]| No. | Name | Event | Date | Accolades | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nate Carr |
RAF 06 Tempe, AZ, US |
February 28, 2026 | Olympic bronze medalist (1988) Three-time NCAA Division I Champion (1981, 1982, 1983) |
[19] |
| 2 | Ryan Blackwell |
RAF 07 Tampa, FL, US |
March 28, 2026 | Navy and Marine Corps Medal recipient (2020) Two-time NCHSAA champion (2009, 2010) |
[20] |
| 3 | Dan Gable |
RAF 10 St. Louis, MO, US |
June 13, 2026 | Olympic gold medalist (1972) World Champion (1971) Two-time NCAA Division I Champion (1968, 1969) |
[21] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "RAF Champions". Real American Freestyle. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Howard, Leah (August 31, 2025). "2025 World Team members Woods, Hendrickson, Olympic champion Hildebrandt shine in RAF 01 in Cleveland". USA Wrestling. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Immel, Richard (December 21, 2025). "Hendrickson tops Parris; Blades, Carr defend titles; Hamiti, Romero earn belts at RAF 04". USA Wrestling. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Al-Shatti, Shaheen (March 29, 2026). "RAF 7 results: Arman Tsarukyan crushes Georgio Poullas in wild rematch; Colby Covington destroys Dillon Danis". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- 1 2 Heck, Mike (January 10, 2026). "Bo Nickal vs. Yoel Romero scrapped from RAF 5 at last minute after weight miss". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Real American Freestyle (February 27, 2026). "Huge news for the Light Heavyweight division. We're adjusting the class to better align with the Olympic weight structure. All other divisions remain unchanged". Instagram. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- 1 2 Fowlkes, Ben (April 19, 2026). "RAF 8 results: Arman Tsarukyan runs Urijah Faber off the mat in lopsided victory, calls out Colby Covington". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- 1 2 Riggs, Drake (May 31, 2026). "RAF 9 results: Gable Steveson, Merab Dvalishvili dominate; Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington set for July". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ Gerhart, David (July 11, 2026). "Snyder Pins Sadulaev, Dake and Maroulis also Retain Belts at RAF Georgia". USA Wrestling. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Immel, Richard (October 26, 2025). "Olympic champions Maroulis, Varner among RAF 02 winners at Penn State". USA Wrestling. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Riggs, Drake (January 11, 2026). "RAF 5 results: Colby Covington, Arman Tsarukyan dominate; Yoel Romero gets shut out". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ↑ Real American Freestyle (2026-06-23). "Evan Wick takes on Jason Nolf for the RAF Middleweight Championship August 22 in Cleveland at RAF12". instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Dawson, Alan (March 1, 2026). "RAF 6 results: Henry Cejudo blanks Urijah Faber; Arman Tsarukyan erupts with post-match punches". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ Real American Freestyle (April 12, 2026). "THE CHAMPS". Instagram. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- 1 2 Immel, Richard (November 30, 2025). "Blades, Oliver earn championship belts, Lee upset at RAF 03 in Chicago". USA Wrestling. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Behunin, Alexander (June 13, 2026). "RAF 10 live stream results, discussion and video highlights". MMA Mania. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ rafwrestlingusa (2026-06-23). "Lucia Yepez defends the RAF Strawweight Championship against Felicity Taylor July 18 in Milwaukee at RAF11". instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Jesse Holland (2026-07-14). "Colby Covington gets another title shot, battles Arman for Crossover Championship at RAF 11". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
- ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (March 1, 2026). "RAF's Eric Bischoff 'disappointed' by Arman Tsarukyan brawl at RAF 6". MMA Fighting. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ Blackwell, Ryan (March 29, 2026). "Honored and humbled to be named the RAF Legends Champion and to bring home the Legends Belt". Instagram. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ Bischoff, Eric (June 13, 2026). "Tonight, along with my partners @ChadBronstein and @IzzyStyle have the honor to award Coach Gable the Real American Freestyle Legends Championship on @foxnation". X. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
