Arman Tsarukyan defeats Urijah Faber 13-1 at RAF wrestling event

Arman Tsarukyan handed Urijah Faber a lopsided 13-1 defeat in a wrestling match held at a UFC RAF event this week, with the lightweight contender asserting control throughout the bout by throwing Faber out of bounds and landing a high-amplitude throw.

Tsarukyan, 29, enters any competitive setting as one of the most decorated active fighters in the UFC's lightweight division. Ranked first among lightweight contenders with a professional MMA record of 23-3-0, the Russian fighter out of American Top Team has built his reputation on relentless offensive output and elite grappling. He averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition, a number that translates clearly to the dominance he displayed on the wrestling mat here.

Faber, the 47-year-old veteran known as "The California Kid," carries a storied MMA record of 35-11-0 and remains one of the most recognizable names in combat sports history. Representing Team Alpha Male, the five-foot-six Sacramento native built his legacy primarily at bantamweight and featherweight, where his wrestling and submission game were central to his success. He averages 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes across his MMA career.

Why it matters

• The crossover wrestling format puts UFC fighters in a pure grappling environment, separate from MMA competition, highlighting transferable skills between the sports.
• Tsarukyan's performance underscores why he sits at the top of the lightweight contender rankings, with his takedown volume among the highest in the division.
• The significant age and size gap — Tsarukyan holds a 183 cm reach advantage over Faber's 170 cm — likely played a role in the outcome on the wrestling mat.
• Details on the specific ruleset and full event format remain limited, leaving some context around the scoring system unclear.