Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber in a wrestling match by technical superiority with a 13-1 score. During the bout, Tsarukyan executed an amplitude throw and literally threw Faber off the mat into the crowd, fulfilling his pre-fight promise. After the victory, he called out Colby Covington, vowing to achieve a 10-0 scoreline against him. Tsarukyan stated he gave Faber one point out of respect for his age, but will fight Covington with everything he has. The post also mentions that Gilbert Burns retired, Malkoun will enter the top 15, and that Khamzat Chimaev signed with RAF.
Arman Tsarukyan put on a commanding display in a wrestling competition against Urijah Faber on April 19, finishing with a dominant 13-1 technical superiority victory that included a dramatic amplitude throw that sent Faber tumbling off the mat and into the crowd — a moment Tsarukyan had promised before the bout began.
Faber, 47, is one of the most recognizable names in combat sports history, holding a professional MMA record of 35 wins and 11 losses across his career under the Team Alpha Male banner. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, "The California Kid" entered the wrestling match as a significant size underdog against the younger, physically imposing Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan controlled the contest nearly wire to wire, conceding just a single point — which he later said was given deliberately out of respect for Faber's age.
Following the win, Tsarukyan turned his attention to welterweight contender Colby Covington, issuing a direct callout and vowing to defeat "Chaos" by a 10-0 margin when they meet. Covington, 38, carries a professional MMA record of 17-5 and is known for elite wrestling, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes with the MMA Masters team. Tsarukyan made clear he extended no such courtesy as he did for Faber — implying a full-effort performance if the matchup with Covington materializes.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's callout of Covington sets up a potential high-profile wrestling or MMA crossover matchup between two fighters with strong grappling credentials
- Gilbert Burns, ranked 13th at welterweight with a 22-10 record, has retired, which could shift the divisional landscape and open a slot for others to move up
- Malkoun is reported to be entering the welterweight top 15, signaling further movement in the division
- Khamzat Chimaev's reported signing with RAF adds another layer of change to the competitive landscape surrounding the welterweight and middleweight divisions
