Julianna Pena Set for Wrestling Match vs. Diana Avsaragova at RAF Abu Dhabi

Former two-time UFC champion Julianna Peña is set to make her return to active combat sports competition, shifting her focus to the wrestling mats. Real American Freestyle announced Monday that Peña will make her promotional debut at RAF Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena, where she will face Diana Avsaragova in a middleweight bout.

The matchup marks Peña's first combat sports appearance in 17 months. In her most recent outing in June 2025, "The Venezuelan Vixen" lost the UFC bantamweight title after suffering a second-round submission defeat to Kayla Harrison at UFC 316. While away from competition, Peña has served as a color commentator for RAF since the promotion's inception.

Avsaragova enters the contest for her second appearance inside the RAF organization. The Bellator and PFL veteran previously competed at RAF 13 in September, where she suffered a technical fall loss against RAF middleweight champion Kennedy Blades.

RAF Abu Dhabi is set to be headlined by a cruiserweight crossover title bout between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev. Additional matchups announced for the card include light heavyweights Abdulrashid Sudulaev vs. Murtaza Talha, a cruiserweight bout featuring Zahid Valencia vs. Khidir Saipudinov, and a lightweight matchup between Hamza Kooheji and Ali AlQa.