Ray Lewis in Talks for Real American Freestyle Wrestling Run

Ray Lewis, the 17-year NFL linebacker and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, may be lacing up wrestling shoes for the first time in decades. Real American Freestyle co-founders Chad Bronstein and Izzy Martinez confirmed they're in active talks to bring Lewis onto a card before the end of 2026. Nothing's signed, but they say the momentum is real.

This isn't a random gimmick booking. Lewis was a Florida state champion wrestler at Kathleen High School, taking the 189-pound title back in 1993 before he ever became a Ravens icon. He's long credited the mat for shaping his defensive instincts on the gridiron, so a return to freestyle is less of a stretch than the celebrity-crossover crowd might assume.

Woodley's Fingerprints Are on the Deal

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is reportedly helping broker the whole thing. Woodley knows the room well — he's already a two-time RAF competitor and stays busy on the promotion's cards. Having a fighter with genuine wrestling credentials inside the tent vouching for Lewis makes the pitch a lot easier to close.

Lewis walked away from football in 2013 on the highest possible note, winning a Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers in his final game. Now 13 years removed from the NFL, he'd be stepping into a very different kind of one-on-one contest — one where there's nowhere to hide and no snap count to reset the clock.

RAF's Busy 2026 Rolls On

The Lewis chatter lands during a loaded stretch for the promotion. RAF 13 goes down Friday in Miami with Colby Covington (17-5) meeting #7-ranked welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-6) in the main event. Both men are coming off losses — Covington via doctor's stoppage against Joaquin Buckley, Muhammad on the wrong end of a decision to Gabriel Bonfim.

The co-main pairs Khamzat Chimaev (15-1, 6 KO, 6 SUB) with Gilbert Burns (22-10) in a rematch of their old UFC scrap. Chimaev, the promotion's biggest name and the UFC's top-ranked middleweight, headlines again Saturday in Moscow opposite Woodley. If RAF can add a Hall of Fame linebacker to that mix, the star power keeps climbing.

For now it's a conversation, not a contract. But between Woodley's involvement and Lewis's actual wrestling pedigree, this looks like more than a publicity floater. Expect updates before the calendar flips.