Julianna Peña will return to competition at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14, facing Diana Avsaragova at Etihad Arena in a freestyle wrestling bout announced Monday. The show airs on FOX Nation.
It’s Peña’s first fight since she lost the UFC bantamweight title to Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 in June 2025. She debuted as an RAF commentator last October and now steps onto the mat as a competitor. The bout is billed at middleweight and is not a title fight.
The timing is hard to miss. RAF Abu Dhabi lands on the same night as UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, where Harrison and Amanda Nunes co-headline. Peña beat Nunes by submission at UFC 269.
Avsaragova is 6-2 in MMA with stints in Bellator and PFL. She signed with RAF in May after nine years away from wrestling competition. She was booked to challenge Kennedy Blades for the women’s middleweight title at RAF 12 in August, but withdrew on fight day due to illness, and Blades beat Reese Larramendy instead. Blades now defends against Bella Mir on this same card.
Updated RAF Abu Dhabi card
Khamzat Chimaev challenges Colby Covington for the RAF cruiserweight crossover title in the main event. The rest of the announced bouts:
- Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington (c), cruiserweight crossover championship
- Arman Tsarukyan vs. Neiman Gracie, catchweight crossover
- Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Urijah Faber
- Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Giga Chikadze, welterweight crossover
- Jordan Burroughs vs. Azamat Nurykau, middleweight
- Kyle Dake (c) vs. Alp Arslan Begenjov, cruiserweight championship
- Kyle Snyder (c) vs. Shamil Erdogan, light heavyweight championship
- Kennedy Blades (c) vs. Bella Mir, women’s middleweight championship
- Julianna Peña vs. Diana Avsaragova, middleweight
- Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs. Dauren Kurugliev
- Osama Elsaidy vs. Murtaza Talha
- Zahid Valencia vs. Khidir Saipudinov
- Hamza Kooheji vs. Ali AlQaisi
The show opens a five-year RAF partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi and the UAE Wrestling Federation.
