Tyron Woodley is stepping back onto the wrestling mat for the first time in years. The former UFC welterweight champion has been booked to face Joaquin Buckley at Real American Freestyle 12 on Aug. 22, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The matchup will take place at a catchweight and marks Woodley’s return to the sport where his combat sports journey began.
Woodley Revisits His Wrestling Roots
Long before becoming one of the UFC’s most successful welterweight champions, Woodley built his reputation as a standout wrestler at the University of Missouri.
His collegiate resume remains one of the strongest in school history. Woodley became Missouri’s first Big 12 individual wrestling champion in 2003 and finished his career with 110 victories. He also qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships three times and earned All-American honors on two occasions.
Woodley served as a team captain for three seasons and played a major role in helping Missouri’s wrestling program gain national recognition. His accomplishments were later honored with induction into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
A Chance for a Fresh Start
The return to wrestling comes after a difficult stretch in combat sports. Since losing the UFC welterweight title to Kamaru Usman in 2019, Woodley has struggled to regain momentum. He entered RAF 12 having lost four straight MMA bouts.
His boxing career also produced little success, including knockout losses to Anderson Silva and Jake Paul. Now, “The Chosen One” gets an opportunity to compete in the discipline that first made him a star.
Buckley Looks to Rebound at RAF 12
Buckley will also be searching for a much-needed victory. In his latest UFC fight, he lost to Sean Brady in a Dominant-Decision win.
The UFC welterweight contender dropped his first RAF appearance against Pat Downey, who secured a technical fall victory. He is also carrying a two-fight skid inside the UFC, most recently suffering a lopsided loss to Sean Brady.
RAF officials have also confirmed that wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs will compete on the Cleveland card, though his opponent has not yet been announced.
RAF’s busy summer schedule begins with RAF Georgia on July 11, the promotion’s first international event.
One week later, RAF heads to Milwaukee for RAF 11 on July 18 before turning its attention to RAF 12 and Jordan Burroughs’ highly anticipated debut in Cleveland.