Wrestling in the Philadelphia region is defined by geography and grit. Look across the Delaware River from Philly toward Camden, New Jersey, and you see two communities built on hard work and tough athletes. Philly consistently produces relentless, cage-tested combat sports practitioners, while Camden birthed Jordan Burroughs, one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers in modern history.
On Saturday, August 22, 2026, those regional ties converged at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio for Real American Freestyle 12 (RAF 12). Created by Chad Bronstein, Izzy Martinez, Eric Bischoff, and Hulk Hogan, RAF was designed to establish a sustainable professional freestyle wrestling organization. Historically, top-tier freestyle wrestlers competed almost exclusively for medals at the Olympics every four years and at annual World Championships without a consistent domestic pro league. RAF aims to change that dynamic by providing regular events, fight-night style production, national broadcasts on FOX Nation, and real prize purses.
For Burroughs, RAF 12 marked his return to competitive action since the 2024 UWW World Championships in Tirana, Albania. A 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist and six-time World Champion, the 38-year-old Burroughs has spent much of his recent time building the All I See Is Gold Academy in Merchantville, New Jersey alongside his wife, Lauren. The facility serves as a regional training hub for youth, high school, collegiate, and Senior-level freestyle wrestlers.
His opponent for his return match was Philadelphia’s own Sean Brady. A top welterweight contender in the UFC, Brady is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt making his formal debut on a competitive freestyle wrestling mat. They agreed to face off at a catchweight. It was a straightforward matchup: one of South Jersey's all-time greats taking on one of Philly's toughest cage fighters.
For decades, domestic wrestling lacked a structured professional outlet after college or international competition. Athletes were classified as amateurs, regardless of their skill level or time commitment.
"For years, we've been considered 'amateur wrestling'… even at the Olympics and at the World Championships we've been considered amateur wrestlers and it just never really sat right with me," Burroughs noted during Friday’s pre-match press conference. "And now we have an opportunity to call ourselves true professionals."
Previous attempts at creating pro wrestling leagues often struggled with long-term financial viability. RAF’s strategy mixes traditional USA Wrestling freestyle rules with a streamlined, entertainment-focused broadcast presentation.
"I've seen a lot of professional wrestling leagues fail," Burroughs admitted. "The pinnacle of wrestling, at least freestyle wrestling, has always been the Olympic Games and the World Championship, but RAF has given me an opportunity. To see what these guys have built in very short order is exciting for me. I’m definitely a believer."
Running alongside RAF 12 was RAF NEXT GEN, a national youth wrestling tournament series. Young wrestlers build rankings across regional events tied to main RAF cards, with top performers qualifying for championship matches on the main stage.
Burroughs’ Saturday involved a dual role as both a father/coach and a main event competitor. During the day, Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center hosted the RAF NEXT GEN tournament. Among the young athletes competing were members of the All I See Is Gold Academy, including Burroughs’ son, Beacon. Burroughs spent his morning warming up young wrestlers, shouting corner instructions, and managing mat assignments. Beacon wrestled his way into the tournament finals.
"Today, I went from the weigh-in to the fan zone to coaching my own son. He made it to the finals!" Burroughs said after day one of the event. "Then he coached me tonight in the corner with my main coach Lucas Revano." The tournament concludes with the finals on Sunday.
Having his son in his corner alongside coach Lucas Revano capped off a full day of family involvement for Burroughs, highlighting the operational focus of his Merchantville academy.
Sean Brady understood the contrast in background coming into the bout. Raised on a foundation of Philadelphia grappling and UFC octagon experience, Brady has built his career on physical pressure and wrestling defense within mixed martial arts. Stepping onto a pure freestyle mat against a multiple time world champion presented a distinct rule set and tactical environment. At Friday's weigh-ins, Brady came in at 184.2 pounds, while Burroughs weighed in at 180.2 pounds.
When asked where this bout ranked in his combat sports career, Brady kept his mindset straightforward: "The next one is always the biggest one," emphasizing that his focus is always on securing a victory whenever he competes.
Before the co-main event, the card featured an action packed slate of competitive bouts across multiple weight divisions:
Bantamweight: Masanosuke Ono def. Ben Davino by Decision, 4-0
Cruiserweight: Tyron Woodley def. Joaquin Buckley by Decision, 14-8
Middleweight: Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau def. Will Lewan by Injury Default
Featherweight: Johnni DiJulius def. Asu Almabayev by Tech Fall, 10-0
Welterweight Championship: David Carr def. Tajmuraz Salkazanov by Decision, 5-4
Featherweight: Jesse Mendez def. Vladimir Khinchegashvili by Decision, 7-2
Middleweight Interim Championship: Jason Nolf def. Evan Wick by Tech Fall, 11-1
Light Heavyweight: Max McEnelly def. Bo Nickal by Decision, 3-2
Catchweight: Kennedy Blades def. Reese Larramendy by Tech Fall, 11-0
Heavyweight: Gable Steveson def. Tony Cassioppi by Decision, 6-0
From the first whistle, Burroughs put on a wrestling masterclass against the UFC contender, dominating the action from the opening whistle and securing an 11-0 technical fall victory in the second period.
Following the tech, both athletes met in the center of the mat for a handshake and embrace. Burroughs commended the organization and the effort put into the weekend's setup. Between coaching in the NEXT GEN tournament and earning a victory on the main card, the night represented a practical example of what RAF aims to establish for wrestlers at various stages of their careers.
The main event featured current UFC top contender Merab Dvalishvili taking on Olympic Champion and 2x UFC Champion Henry Cejudo for the Lightweight Crossover Championship. Cejudo won by fall in the first period to take the belt. It was an exciting finish to a world class event.
For local fans in South Jersey and Philly, RAF 12 showcased two top-tier local athletes competing on a national pro wrestling platform. Next up for Burroughs is RAF 13. He’ll take on Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia on September 5th in Moscow.