Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev will make his MMA debut with the RAF promotion in the United States within the next few months. Sadulaev indicated he is willing to face any opponent, and when asked about Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar, he nodded affirmatively. Following in the footsteps of Khabib Nurmagomedov's famous quote, Sadulaev said his opponent could be King Kong as long as they make the 97 kg weight limit. The news represents a significant crossover from wrestling to MMA for one of the sport's most decorated grapplers.
One of wrestling's greatest champions is crossing over to mixed martial arts. Abdulrashid Sadulaev, the multiple-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers in history, is set to make his professional MMA debut with the RAF promotion in the United States within the next few months.
Sadulaev confirmed he is open to facing any opponent, and when the names Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar were raised, he responded affirmatively. Channeling the spirit of a famous line associated with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Sadulaev made clear that the identity of his opponent is secondary — as long as they can make the 97-kilogram weight limit, he is ready to compete.
Why it matters
- Sadulaev is widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers to ever compete, bringing elite grappling credentials that few MMA debutants can match.
- The 97 kg weight class in which he intends to compete sits between the UFC's light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, making his eventual organizational home an open question.
- Name-dropping Jones and Lesnar signals that Sadulaev and the RAF promotion are targeting high-profile matchups from the outset, which could generate significant crossover interest from both combat sports audiences.
- The move continues a broader trend of elite amateur wrestlers transitioning into MMA, a path most famously blazed by Nurmagomedov himself.
The announcement represents one of the more consequential crossover stories in recent memory. Whether Sadulaev's extraordinary wrestling pedigree translates smoothly into the full mixed martial arts ruleset remains to be seen, but his willingness to take on established names immediately suggests both confidence and commercial ambition from his new promotional home.
