Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs signs with RAF ahead of August debut

Jordan Burroughs, one of the most decorated American wrestlers in history and the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has signed with RAF and is set to make his promotional debut at RAF 12 on Aug. 22 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The 37-year-old’s opponent has yet to be announced.

Burroughs built his reputation as a dominant force at 74 kg on the senior international circuit, winning World Championship gold in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, and adding bronze medals in 2014, 2018, and 2019. Before that, he was a two-time national collegiate champion at Nebraska.

The centrepiece of his amateur career remains his gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He entered the 2016 Games in Rio as a heavy favourite but failed to medal in a performance that fell well short of expectations. His path to the 2020 Olympic team was then blocked by Kyle Dake at the U.S. trials.

Rather than fade from the sport, Burroughs moved up to 79 kg and reasserted himself on the world stage, winning back-to-back World Championships in 2021 and 2022. He last competed at the 2024 World Championships, where he was beaten by multiple-time world medalist Mohammad Nokhodi.

The signing continues RAF’s strategy of recruiting elite wrestling talent to its roster, with Burroughs representing one of the highest-profile names the promotion has brought on board to date.