Steveson faces Romanov in RAF 9 heavyweight main event alongside Covington-Weidman clash

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson steps into the RAF cage for the first time when he faces MMA veteran Alexandr Romanov in a heavyweight main event at RAF 9, taking place at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The bout marks a significant moment for the promotion, which bills the event as one of its most high-profile cards to date.

The co-main event brings together two former UFC headliners in Colby Covington and Chris Weidman, a matchup that pairs one of mixed martial arts’ most polarising figures against a former middleweight world champion. Both men carry substantial UFC pedigree into the RAF setting.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar are also scheduled to compete against each other on the card, adding further star power to an already loaded lineup. Arman Tsarukyan, who holds dual UFC and RAF commitments, opens the main card against influencer Mugzy.

The full RAF 9 main card is as follows:

Gable Steveson vs. Alexandr Romanov (heavyweight main event)

Colby Covington vs. Chris Weidman

Kyle Snyder vs. Givi Matcharashvili

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Frankie Edgar

Real Woods vs. Ibragim Ilyasov

Jason Nolf vs. Christopher Minto

Parker Keckeisen vs. Georgios Kougioumtsidis

Zain Retherford vs. Antrell Taylor

Bajrang Punia vs. Ridge Lovett

Lucia Yepez vs. Cameron Guerin

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mugzy

The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET.