Vito Arujau makes RAF debut vs Sebastian Rivera on Oct. 23
The promotion announced the matchup for its Fontainebleau Las Vegas card, airing on Fox Nation.
Vito Arujau will make his Real American Freestyle debut against Sebastian Rivera. The promotion announced the matchup for RAF 14 on Oct. 23 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, with the card airing on Fox Nation. It is another lightweight name added to a card that was already stacked at the lighter end.
RAF's own announcement did not go long on buildup. The post read "VITO IN HIS RAF DEBUT," with the date, the venue and a ticket link, and nothing else about how the match came together or where it lands on the running order.
VITO IN HIS RAF DEBUT
A crowded lower half of the card
The Oct. 23 show already has Ridge Lovett vs Jordan Oliver for the RAF lightweight title, so Arujau vs Rivera gives the promotion a second marquee pairing in that range on the same night. RAF has also booked Mekhi Lewis against Gadzhimagomedov for the Vegas card.
The top of the card is built around combat sports crossover. Khamzat Chimaev vs Robbie Lawler is set as the co-main event on the same Oct. 23 date, and Arman Tsarukyan vs Dillon Danis is also on the show.
Our take: pairing a debut like this with an existing title fight in the same weight range is how RAF keeps a division feeling like a division rather than a series of one-off exhibitions. Whoever looks best on Oct. 23 has an obvious next match waiting.
What to watch
Oct. 23, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, on Fox Nation. RAF has not said where Arujau vs Rivera falls on the card.