Gable Steveson to face UFC veteran in RAF 9 main event

Gable Steveson has an opponent for his Real American Freestyle debut.

The two-time NCAA national champion and Olympic gold medalist will square off against Alexander Romanov in the RAF 9 main event on May 30 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The organization announced the match on Tuesday. Additionally, Colby Covington will meet Chris Weidman in the RAF 9 co-headliner. The event streams on Fox Nation.

A Highly-Anticipated Debut

While his wrestling background is well known, Steveson is also one of the top prospects in all of MMA. The 25-year-old, who has worked extensively with former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones, is 3-0 in MMA bouts — finishing all of his opponents inside of a round. Prior to focusing on fighting, Steveson tried his hand at both professonal wrestling and the NFL.

Romanov went 7-3 during a 10-bout UFC stint to 2024. The 35-year-old Moldovan has since joined Professional Fighters League and is currently scheduled to meet Rodrigo Nascimento at PFL Chicago on Saturday. Romanov made his RAF debut this past October, dropping a decision to Mason Parris.