Hulk Hogan Claims RAF Wrestling Could Rival WWE and UFC – WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is officially back in the ring—this time, not as a competitor, but as Commissioner of the newly launched Real American Freestyle Wrestling league (RAF). Appearing on Fox & Friends Thursday morning, Hogan spoke with trademark confidence about the league’s future, declaring that RAF has the potential to match, or even surpass, industry juggernauts WWE and UFC.
The new league was unveiled on Wednesday with Hogan joined by former WCW President Eric Bischoff, who is serving as Chief Media Officer, and elite wrestling coach Izzy Martinez, now RAF’s Chief Operating Officer. RAF aims to merge legitimate freestyle wrestling with sports entertainment elements, creating a hybrid product that blends competition with showmanship.
“Yes it is. It’s freestyle wrestling and it’s professional now because we get to pay the athletes,” Hogan said on Fox & Friends. “Our goal is not to be competitive with Dana White and the UFC or the WWE, but to be just as big or bigger because this is an underserved market.”
Hogan credited Martinez as being instrumental to the league’s foundation. “Izzy is our linchpin. He has trained all of the Olympic athletes, all the NCAA champions, all the college kids that really have made it,” Hogan stated. “He was our source to pull in all these great athletes and get everybody signed.”
RAF’s first event is scheduled for August 30 in Cleveland, Ohio. While the league is still in its infancy, its leadership team is setting expectations sky-high. Hogan echoed that ambition in an interview with the Associated Press, saying, “The idea was so exciting that I get a chance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them… especially to make them huge stars and create a future for them.” He added, “This is a way for me to jump back in, get off the sidelines, and be part of something real with athletes who are championship-caliber. I couldn’t turn it down.”
Speaking to TMZ, Hogan also noted how President Trump’s public embrace of NCAA Champion Wyatt Hendrickson earlier this year validated his belief in the market for elite amateur wrestling.
With financial backing and established names behind it, RAF Wrestling will aim to carve out a space in what Hogan describes as an “underserved market.” However, the comparisons to WWE and UFC set an incredibly high bar for the fledgling promotion—one that will require years of growth, infrastructure, and viewership to meet.
Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Facebook, Twitter/X, Bluesky and Google News for more.
Hulk Hogan Claims RAF Wrestling Could Rival WWE and UFC
