List of Real American Freestyle champions
(Redirected from RAF Middleweight Crossover Championship)
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 September 19, 2026.[1]
Men
[edit]| Division | Weight | Champion | Since | Days | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 285 lb (129 kg) |  Wyatt Hendrickson |
August 30, 2025 | 390 | 2 |
| Light Heavyweight | 215 lb (98 kg) | Kyle Snyder |
March 28, 2026 | 180 | 4 |
| Cruiserweight | 190 lb (86 kg) | Kyle Dake |
August 30, 2025 | 390 | 5 |
| Cruiserweight Crossover | 190 lb (86 kg) | Colby Covington |
July 18, 2026 | 68 | 1 |
| Middleweight | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jason Nolf |
August 22, 2026 | 33 | 1 |
| Middleweight Crossover | 175 lb (79 kg) | vacant | — | — | — |
| Welterweight | 165 lb (75 kg) | David Carr |
October 25, 2025 | 334 | 2 |
| Lightweight | 155 lb (70 kg) | vacant | — | — | — |
| Lightweight Crossover | 155 lb (70 kg) | Henry Cejudo |
August 22, 2026 | 33 | 0 |
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg) | Real Woods |
May 30, 2026 | 117 | 0 |
| Featherweight Crossover | 145 lb (66 kg) | Cayden Henschel |
September 18, 2026 | 6 | 0 |
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg) |  Arsen Harutyunyan |
September 18, 2026 | 6 | 0 |
Women
[edit]| Division | Weight | Champion | Since | Days | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruiserweight | 170 lb (77 kg) | vacant | — | — | — |
| Middleweight | 150 lb (68 kg) | Kennedy Blades |
November 29, 2025 | 299 | 4 |
| Bantamweight | 130 lb (59 kg) | Helen Maroulis |
October 25, 2025 | 334 | 2 |
| Strawweight | 120 lb (54 kg) |  Lucía Yépez |
June 23, 2026 | 63 | 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 | 390 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 | 180 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] 4. def. Akhmed Tazhudinov at RAF Moscow on Sep 5, 2026[10] |
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 | 390 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Boris Makoev at RAF 02 on Oct 25, 2025[11] 2. def. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau at RAF 05 on Jan 10, 2026[12] 3. def. Parker Keckeisen at RAF 07 on Mar 28, 2026[4] 4. def. Vladimer Gamkrelidze at RAF Georgia on Jul 11, 2026[13] 5. def. Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau at RAF Moscow on Sep 5, 2026[14] |
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.[15] | |||||
| 3 | Jason Nolf[3] |
RAF 12 Cleveland, OH, US |
Aug 22, 2026 | 33 days | 1. def. Julian Ramirez at RAF 13 on Sep 18, 2026[16] |
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[11] |
RAF 02 State College, PA, US |
Oct 25, 2025 | 334 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Bubba Jenkins at RAF 06 on Feb 28, 2026[17] 2. def. Tajmuraz Salkazanov at RAF 12 on Aug 22, 2026[18] |
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.[19] | |||||
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[20] |
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 | 117 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[11] |
| 2 | Austin DeSanto[12] |
RAF 05 Sunrise, FL, US |
Jan 10, 2026 | 252 days | 1. def. Reineri Andreu at RAF 10 on June 13, 2026[21] |
| 3 | Arsen Harutyunyan[22] |
RAF 13 Miami, FL, US |
Sep 18, 2026 | 6 days (incumbent) |
Women's championship history
[edit]Women's Cruiserweight Championship
[edit]151 to 170 lb (68 to 77 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBD def. TBD |
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[20] |
RAF 03 Chicago, IL, US |
Nov 29, 2025 | 299 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] 3. def. Vusala Parfianovich at RAF Moscow on Sep 5, 2026[23] 4. def. Diana Avsaragova at RAF 13 on Sep 18, 2026[24] |
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[11] |
RAF 02 State College, PA, US |
Oct 25, 2025 | 334 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Alexis Janiak at RAF 08 on Apr 18, 2026[7] 2. def. Anhelina Lysak at RAF Georgia on Jul 11, 2026[25] |
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 | 390 days | |
| — | Lucía Yépez def. Kendra Ryan for interim title[21] |
RAF 10 St. Louis, MO, US |
Jun 13, 2026 | 103 days | |
| Hildebrandt was stripped of the title on June 23, 2026.[26] | |||||
| 2 | Lucía Yépez promoted to undisputed champion[27] |
— | Jun 23, 2026 | 93 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Felicity Taylor at RAF 11 on Jul 18, 2026[28] |
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.[29]
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[30] |
RAF 11 Milwaukee, WI, US |
July 18, 2026 | 70 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Belal Muhammad at RAF 13 on Sep 18, 2026[31] |
Middleweight Crossover Championship
[edit]166 to 175 lb (75 to 79 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBD def. TBD |
RAF 14 Las Vegas, NV, US |
October 3, 2026 |
Lightweight Crossover Championship
[edit]146 to 155 lb (66 to 70 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Cejudo def. Merab Dvalishvili[32] |
RAF 12 Cleveland, OH, US |
August 22, 2026 |
Featherweight Crossover Championship
[edit]136 to 145 lb (62 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign (Total) | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cayden Henschel def. Johnni DiJulius[33] |
RAF 13 Miami, FL, US |
September 18, 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) |
[34] |
| 2 | Ryan Blackwell |
RAF 07 Tampa, FL, US |
March 28, 2026 | Navy and Marine Corps Medal recipient (2020) Two-time NCHSAA champion (2009, 2010) |
[35] |
| 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) |
[36] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "RAF Champions". Real American Freestyle. Retrieved September 19, 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 5 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.
- ↑ "Snyder, Dake, Blades defend titles, Americans roll at RAF Moscow". USA Wrestling. September 5, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 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.
- ↑ "RAF Georgia: 'Merab Vs. Cejudo' Live Results, Highlights". Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Snyder, Dake, Blades defend titles, Americans roll at RAF Moscow". Retrieved September 5, 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.
- ↑ "RAF 13". Retrieved 2026-09-19.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "RAF 12 results: Henry Cejudo destroys Merab Dvalishvili in monster showing; Jordan Burroughs, Gable Steveson win". Retrieved August 22, 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.
- ↑ "RAF 13 results: Colby Covington obliterates Belal Muhammad; Khamzat Chimaev claims another victim". Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Snyder, Dake, Blades defend titles, Americans roll at RAF Moscow". Retrieved September 5, 2026.
- ↑ "RAF 13 results: Colby Covington obliterates Belal Muhammad; Khamzat Chimaev claims another victim". Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ "RAF Georgia: 'Merab Vs. Cejudo' Live Results, Highlights". July 11, 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "RAF 11 live stream results, discussion and video highlights". Retrieved 2026-07-18.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "RAF 11 live stream results, discussion and video highlights". Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "RAF 13 results: Colby Covington obliterates Belal Muhammad; Khamzat Chimaev claims another victim". Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ "RAF 12 results: Henry Cejudo destroys Merab Dvalishvili in monster showing; Jordan Burroughs, Gable Steveson win". August 22, 2026.
- ↑ "RAF 12 results: Henry Cejudo destroys Merab Dvalishvili in monster showing; Jordan Burroughs, Gable Steveson win". September 18, 2026.
- ↑ 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.
