Gable Steveson vs Alexander Romanov headlines RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas

Former NCAA champion Gable Steveson will face Alexander Romanov in the main event of RAF 09, a freestyle wrestling competition scheduled for May 30 in Dallas. The card will also feature a wrestling bout between Colby Covington and Chris Weidman, bringing together a notable collection of current and former UFC talent crossing over to the mat.

Steveson, who enters with a 3-0 MMA record, is one of the most decorated amateur wrestlers in recent memory and has been building toward a combat sports career since his collegiate days. His opponent, Romanov, carries a 19-3-0 professional record and has established himself as a dangerous heavyweight in the UFC, where he holds a 7-3 mark inside the organization. The 34-year-old Moldovan stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach and has shown elite grappling instincts throughout his MMA career.

The Covington-Weidman pairing adds considerable star power to the undercard. Covington, 38, holds a 17-5-0 record and has long been regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the UFC welterweight division, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. Weidman, 42, is a former UFC middleweight champion competing out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team. The six-foot-two New Yorker carries a 16-8-0 record and has averaged 3.27 takedowns per 15 minutes himself, making for an intriguing matchup of wrestlers with deep UFC pedigrees.

Why it matters

• Steveson and Romanov represent a direct collision between decorated amateur wrestling credentials and proven UFC-level grappling
• Covington and Weidman are among the most accomplished wrestlers ever to compete at their respective UFC weight classes, raising the competitive stakes of their bout
• The event continues a growing trend of active and former UFC fighters competing in professional freestyle wrestling formats