Eight Champions Crowned at RAF 01 Event

History was made in Cleveland, Ohio, tonight as Real American Freestyle (RAF) held its first card, RAF 01. Eight champions were crowned in an electric atmosphere, with a star-studded list of participants.

Local star Nathan Tomasello will go down in history as the first wrestler to win a RAF bout and the first bantamweight champion. The former Ohio State national champion was a crowd favorite as he used his impressive build and strength to keep Matt Ramos at bay for most of the bout. Tomasello’s four points were all scored off of step-out points. In the second period, Tomasello was close to a pair of takedowns when he earned his stepouts. Ramos nearly shocked the crowd with a late takedown during a sequence that started with a flying squirrel attempt.

The third installment of Yianni Diakomihalis versus Indian world/Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia ended the same way as the first two - with the four-time national champion from Cornell getting his hand raised. It was in the third period when Diakomihalis used a low leg attack to become the first RAF wrestler to register a takedown. That maneuver iced a 5-1 victory for Diakomihalis.

The third bout of the evening featured a current star against a former great and it established a pattern for matches of this ilk. Generally, it was the younger wrestler who got their hand raised. In this instance, Mexican Olympian Austin Gomez needed less than a minute to roll against another hometown hero, Lance Palmer of St. Ed’s and Ohio State fame. This bout did not have a title on the line, but it appears we could have a Diakomihalis-Gomez clash in the future.

Some of the biggest fireworks of the evening came from the combination of Evan Wick and Jason Nolf in the middleweight championship. Wick jumped out to the lead, surprising Nolf on a low, reshot attempt. Nolf would answer by getting a takedown of his own. These were no ordinary two points. Nolf had Wick above his head, sitting on his shoulders for a moment, before finishing the takedown.

The second period provides the fans with plenty of action as Wick notched three takedowns and extended his lead to 8-2. Just as it appeared that Nolf’s wrestling layoff might catch up to him, the former Penn State great responded with a takedown of his own to trail 8-4 at the break.

The third period featured more from Nolf, who won a scramble for two points and then turned Wick to knot the score at eight (although Nolf had criteria). With around :20 remaining, Wick responded with a low, misdirection shot to retake the lead, 10-8. The Cal Poly assistant coach nearly got another takedown in the closing seconds, but Nolf flipped out of the hold. The crowd gave both wrestlers a standing ovation as Wick received his belt.

The final result in the women’s strawweight championship was a tech fall for 2024 Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt; however, it doesn’t necessarily tell the entire story of the bout. Zeltzin Hernandez shocked Hildebrandt in the first period, nearly scoring on a double leg. Later in the first period, Hildebrandt earned a takedown and added two gut wrenches to take a commanding 7-0 lead.

There was no scoring in the second period as Hernandez was able to limit the damage. Hildebrandt was close to scoring on multiple occasions, but Hernandez trapped Hildebrandt’s arm and prevented her from fully taking control.

:36 into the third period, Hildebrandt was finally able to break through Hernandez’s defense and scored off of a double leg and a leg lace - ending the match via tech, 11-0.

It was another current star (2025 World Team member Real Woods) against a past hero (2009 NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell) in the bantamweight championship bout. The 37 year old Caldwell actually got on the scoreboard first with a step out point. Later in the opening stanza, Woods completed a takedown and was looking for a gut wrench. Caldwell momentarily kept Woods on his back for two points and only trailed 4-3 at the break.

Caldwell has always been known for his big moves and tried a super duck; however, Woods was ready and countered for a takedown. Two gut wrenches opened his lead to 10-3. On the second gut wrench, Woods was able to keep Caldwell on his back for a fall - :36 into the second period. It was the only fall of the card.

The next bout featured two-time Olympic gold medalist Kyle Dake, taking on 2025 NCAA champion Dean Hamiti. Hamiti was a replacement for Missouri’s Aeoden Sinclair, who was held out of the competition because of compliance concerns. Dake got the crowd excited in the first period as he used a high-amplitude finish for four points, giving him a 5-0 lead after one period.

Dake turned up the head in the second period and dominated his way to an 11-0 tech.

Speaking of replacements. Kennedy Blades was scheduled to take on Mexico’s Alejandra Rivera in a championship bout in the women’s middleweight division. Just a day before the event, the NCAA ruled that Blades would not be allowed to compete.

Rather than scrap the bout, RAF found an interesting replacement. Combat sports legend Holly Holm filled in for Blades. Holm has won world championships in boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. This was her first official wrestling match….ever!

It was nearly a storybook finish for Holm as Rivera quickly shot in on her. Rivera telegraphed the double leg attempt and got pancaked to her back and nearly surrendered a fall.

The second period featured Rivera scoring twice on four-point headlocks. In both instances, Holm was able to add points of her own to trail, 9-7. Neither woman was able to score in the final period and Rivera was crowned the victor, 9-7.

In the penultimate bout of the evening, branded the co-main event, 2019 Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal returned to the wrestling mat for the first time in four years. He squared off with three-time All-American Jacob Cardenas, who just wrapped up his collegiate career earlier this year.

Maybe there was some rust for Nickal, but not enough to prevent him from winning. During his post-match interview, Nickal stated that he was conscious of the side Cardenas tends to try his gut wrench from. The key sequence in the bout saw Nickal step over the gut wrench and nearly pin Cardenas. Nickal wasn’t able to secure a fall, but did keep Cardenas on his back for the final :20 seconds of the contest and ensure a 6-4 victory.

The main event of the evening featured 2025 NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson taking on 2024 Egyptian Olympian Mostafa Elders. The crowd was hoping to see Hendrickson display his arsenal of offensive attacks and he gave them what they wanted.

Hendrickson put an exclamation mark on his match and the RAF 01 debut as he used a big, four-point double leg to down Elders, 14-1.

After the match, during Hendrickson’s interview, 2023 Hodge Trophy winner Mason Parris jumped on the stage to challenge Hendrickson. Parris was an Olympian in 2024, but did not participate in the world team process in 2025 as he was pursuing an NFL career. Now back on the mat, this will be an interesting matchup to anticipate for future RAF events.

We’ll revisit RAF in the coming days to discuss the event as a whole.
 

Results

Bantamweight Championship (135 lbs) - Nathan Tomasello over Matt Ramos  4-3

Lightweight Championship (155 lbs) - Yianni Diakomihalis over  Bajrang Punia  5-1

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Austin Gomez over  Lance Palmer  11-0

Middleweight Championship (175 lbs) - Evan Wick over Jason Nolf  10-8

Women’s Strawweight Championship (120 lbs) - Sarah Hildebrandt over Zeltzin Hernandez  11-0

Featherweight Championship (145 lbs) - Real Woods over Darrion Caldwell  Fall 2:31

Cruiserweight Championship (190 lbs) - Kyle Dake over Dean Hamiti  11-0

Women’s Middleweight bout (150 lbs) - Alejandra Rivera over Holly Holm  9-7

Light Heavyweight championship (205 lbs) - Bo Nickal over Jacob Cardenas  6-4

Heavyweight championship (Unlimited) - Wyatt Hendrickson over Mostafa Elders  14-1