There has been plenty of speculation about Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar possibly joining Real American Freestyle in the future. RAF CEO Chad Bronstein addressed the rumors in an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports.
In less than a year, RAF has quickly built a strong following and loyal fanbase. The idea of one of or both of St-Pierre and Lesnar joining RAF has sparked buzz. ‘Rush,’ in particular, has already been called out by Colby Covington for a wrestling match.
Meanwhile, Lesnar’s name has been brought up by fans for hypothetical matchups. The former UFC heavyweight champion initially retired from WWE at WrestleMania last month. However, he later returned to continue his feud with Oba Femi.
While Lesnar is currently an active WWE superstar, there have been reports that he could retire from the ring at SummerSlam. If he does, that could free him to explore other ventures, including RAF, later this year.
Chad Bronstein Provides Update on Georges St-Pierre-RAF Talks
Chad Bronstein provided an update on the talks between Georges St-Pierre and RAF. The RAF CEO confirmed that there has been dialogue with ‘Rush’ about possibly competing in a wrestling match.
Although St-Pierre was not an Olympian or NCAA wrestler, he built a reputation for his wrestling ability throughout his UFC career. In fact, the Canadian still holds the record for the most takedowns in UFC welterweight history.
During an interview with MMA Junkie, St-Pierre did not completely shut the door on returning to some form of competition. He said he may be more open to doing so later this year once his schedule allows for it.
The timing was interesting, as RAF announced an event for Las Vegas on Oct. 3. Vegas is regarded as the combat sports capital and would be a fitting location for St-Pierre’s promotional debut.
Bronstein revealed that he has exchanged messages with St-Pierre and made it known that he is welcome in RAF.
“Georges is great. We’ve love to have him [in RAF],” Bronstein exclusively told Heavy Sports. “I’ve texted with him. We would love to have him.”
He added:
“[St-Pierre] is a great wrestler, and when he feels like he wants to do it, he knows he has an opportunity here to do it. When [everyone] comes to RAF, I think everyone feels the culture that we’ve created and it’s been great. So, I think never say never.”
Bronstein Names Potential Opponent for Lesnar
Bronstein also spoke about Lesnar possibly joining RAF in the future once he is done with his WWE career.
The RAF CEO expressed interest in booking a matchup for Lesnar if he ever decides to join the wrestling promotion. Bronstein suggested Gable Steveson as a potential opponent. Both have a connection to the University of Minnesota and have trained together in the past.
“If Brock wants to wrestle, he knows we can have him wrestle for us. He’s a wrestler frome the University of Minnesota like Gable Steveson, great wrestler, NCAA champion. And if he feels like he wants to step on the RAF stage, we’ll figure out the right matchup for him. Maybe it’s Gable. NCAA champ vs. NCAA champion. I think Gable would take it,” Bronstein exclusively told Heavy Sports.
Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar in RAF? CEO Chad Bronstein Responds: Exclusive