Former and future UFC fighters Gable Steveson and Alexander Romanov will compete in a professional freestyle wrestling match at RAF09 on May 30. Steveson holds a 3-0 MMA record, while Romanov has a 21-4 overall record and went 7-3 during his UFC tenure. The match represents an unusual crossover event bringing together fighters from the MMA world to compete in pure wrestling. Details about the ruleset or weight class were not specified in the announcement.
Alexander Romanov and Gable Steveson are set to meet not in an MMA cage but on the wrestling mat, with the two heavyweights scheduled to compete in a professional freestyle wrestling match at RAF09 on May 30.
Romanov, known by his nickname "King Kong," is a 34-year-old Moldovan heavyweight who carries a verified record of 19-3-0 in MMA competition. He spent a significant stretch of his career inside the UFC, going 7-3 during that tenure before his departure from the promotion. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Romanov built his MMA reputation as a grappling-oriented fighter, and the move to a pure wrestling format plays directly into that identity.
Steveson enters the matchup with a 3-0 MMA record. The Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling brings decorated amateur credentials into the professional combat sports world, and this bout offers him a return to the discipline where he first made his name.
Why it matters
- The matchup is a rare crossover event, pulling two fighters from the MMA world into a pure wrestling competition format.
- Romanov's grappling-heavy MMA background makes him one of the more credible opponents Steveson could face in this setting.
- Neither the specific ruleset nor the weight class was included in the official announcement, leaving key competitive details still to be confirmed ahead of the May 30 date.
