Chimaev vs. Weidman: Weidman replaces injured Covington at RAF Abu Dhabi
Chris Weidman will wrestle Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, after Colby Covington withdrew injured. Real American Freestyle (RAF) announced the change on Nov. 9, and the bout is now for the RAF Light Heavyweight Crossover Championship at Etihad Arena.
What RAF announced
In a post on X, RAF said Chimaev "will now face former MMA Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman" for the Light Heavyweight Crossover Championship, and that Weidman steps in after Covington "was forced to withdraw due to injury". The promotion did not say what the injury is.
Chimaev was originally set to challenge for Covington's RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship, according to The National and Bloody Elbow. With Weidman in, a different belt is on the line: Bloody Elbow describes the light heavyweight crossover title as an inaugural championship. According to The National, the card is RAF's first event in the Middle East.
"Khamzat is a tough opponent, and having a title on the line makes this fight even more exciting," Weidman told The National.
Chimaev vs. Weidman: the two men in the main event
Chimaev, 32, is 27-0 in wrestling, according to The National, and has won his last three matches under the RAF banner, the latest an 11-0 technical fall over Robbie Lawler. In MMA he beat Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 319 in August 2025 and lost it to Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, the only loss of his pro career. The Pugna MMA database lists his MMA record as 15-1-0 and ranks him No. 1 at UFC middleweight.
Weidman, 42, is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. He ended Anderson Silva's reign as UFC middleweight champion in 2013 and defended the belt three times, and The National says he retired from pro MMA in January 2025. His MMA record is 16-8-0, and his last fight was a second-round TKO loss to Eryk Anders at UFC 310 in December 2024.
His only previous RAF match, according to The National, was a loss to Covington at RAF 9 in May. Covington's last MMA bout in our database is a third-round TKO loss (doctor stoppage) to Joaquin Buckley in December 2024.
The rest of the RAF Abu Dhabi card
The National lists Arman Tsarukyan, Umar Nurmagomedov, Merab Dvalishvili and Julianna Peña among the names on the card, along with five-time world champions Kyle Dake and Kyle Snyder. Tsarukyan is No. 2 at UFC lightweight in our database, and his latest MMA fight was a first-round TKO of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September 2026.
When and where to watch RAF Abu Dhabi
RAF Abu Dhabi takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026. RAF says it streams on Fox Nation in the U.S. and on Starzplay in the Middle East and North Africa. The announcement we reviewed gave no start time and no broadcaster for other regions.
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Sources
This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.