Colby Covington vs. Chris Weidman, Gable Steveson's opponent set for RAF 09

The top of the RAF 09 card won't be short on name value or intrigue, with a pair of former UFC champions squaring off and the debut of Gable Steveson. Steveson, the 2020 Olympic freestyle heavyweight gold medalist at heavyweight, will headline the event against UFC veteran Alexandr Romanov. The co-main event will feature the debut of former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman taking on former UFC interim welterweight champ Colby Covington.

RAF 09 takes place May 30 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The event will stream on FOX Nation. Steveson, 25, signed a multimatch contract with RAF last month on the heels of winning his first three professional MMA fights by knockout, as well as a knockout win in Dirty Boxing Championships.

It's widely expected to be only a matter of time before Steveson makes a move to the UFC. More: Gable Steveson expects call for UFC debut soon: 'Any day now' Weidman, 41, will make his RAF debut less than two years after his final UFC fight. Weidman retired after a TKO loss to Eryk Anders on Dec.

7, 2024 at UFC 310. Covington, 38, will make his third RAF appearance of 2026, having defeated Luke Rockhold in January and most recently Dillon Danis on March 28. Covington hasn't competed in the UFC since Dec.