RAF 12

This event marked the first-year anniversary show of RAF, returning to the promotion's original host city of Cleveland, Ohio for the first time since RAF 01.^[1]

A lightweight bout for the inaugural RAF Lightweight Crossover Championship with former UFC Bantawmeight Champion Merab Dvalishvili and former UFC Flyweight and fellow Bantamweight Champion (also 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling) Henry Cejudo headlined the event.^[3][4] They competed in freestyle wrestling for the first time at RAF Georgia in July 2026 where Dvalishvili won by decision.^[5][6] They were originally scheduled to compete at RAF 08 in April 2026 but Cejudo withdrew hours before the event.^[7] Their first bout was at UFC 298 in mixed martial arts in February 2024 where Dvalishvili won via unanimous decision.^[8]

A catchweight bout between 2012 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling Jordan Burroughs and Sean Brady was scheduled to headline the event, but was shifted to the co-main event for undisclosed reasons.^[9]

A RAF Crossover Cruiserweight Championship match between former current champion (also former interim UFC Welterweight Champion) Colby Covington and former UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad was scheduled for the event.^[10] However, the bout was shifted to September at RAF 13 as the main event.^[3]

Three additional championship bouts took place:

• A RAF Middleweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former champion Evan Wick and Jason Nolf. In their first two meetings in April 2021 and September 2021, Nolf won the matches by technical fall.^[11] They later met at RAF 01 in August 2025 where Wick won the inaugural championship by decision.^[12] The title was vacated in June 2026 when former champion Dean Hamiti was stripped for undisclosed reasons, paving the way for this bout.^[13]
• A RAF Welterweight Championship bout between reigning champion David Carr and Tajmuraz Salkazanov. They competed three previous times with Salkazanov winning in February 2024 and February 2025, and Carr winning in July 2025.
• Kennedy Blades was scheduled to defend her RAF Women's Middleweight Championship against Diana Avsaragova, but Avsaragova withdrew. Reese Larramendy replaced Avsaragova, and it was changed to a non-title Catchweight bout.

More information Main card, Weight class ...

Main card
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Lightweight	Henry Cejudo	def.	Merab Dvalishvili	Pinfall	1	0:36	[a]
Catchweight	Jordan Burroughs	def.	Sean Brady	Technical fall (11–0)	2	0:12
Light Heavyweight	Max McEnelly	def.	Bo Nickal	Decision (6-0)	3	2:00
Cruiserweight	Tyron Woodley	def.	Joaquin Buckley	Decision (14-8)	3	2:00
Middleweight	Jason Nolf	def.	Evan Wick	Technical fall (11-1)	3	0:26	[b]
Featherweight	Jesse Mendez	def.	Vladimer Khinchegashvili	Decision (7-2)	3	2:00
Welterweight	David Carr (c)	def.	Tajmuraz Salkazanov	Decision (5-4)	3	2:00	[c]
Catchweight	Kennedy Blades (c)	def.	Reese Larramendy	Technical fall (11-0)	2	0:08
Featherweight	Johnni DiJulius	def.	Asu Almabayev	Technical fall (10-0)	1	1:28
Bantamweight	Masanosuke Ono	def.	Ben Davino	Decision (4-0)	3	2:00
Middleweight	Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau	def.	Will Lewan	Injury default (7-0)	1	2:00
Heavyweight	Gable Steveson	def.	Anthony Cassioppi	Decision (6-0)	3	2:00

Close

^[14]

The following athletes received bonuses.

• Match of the Night: Tyron Woodley vs. Joaquin Buckley
• Performance of the Night: Max McEnelly and Johnni DiJulius
• Flight of the Night: Jason Nolf

• List of RAF events

• "RAF 12" on YouTube