Arman Tsarukyan delivered a commanding performance against Urijah Faber at UFC RAF, winning 13-1 in a wrestling match. The Armenian fighter threw Faber off the mat during the contest and executed an amplitude throw, showcasing his wrestling dominance throughout. The lopsided victory represents one of the main highlights from the week's UFC RAF events.
Arman Tsarukyan put on a wrestling clinic against Urijah Faber at UFC RAF, winning their mat contest by a dominant 13-1 score that included a highlight-reel amplitude throw and at least one instance of Faber being thrown clean off the mat.
Tsarukyan, 29, holds a 23-3-0 professional record and is currently ranked number one in the lightweight division. The Russia-based Armenian fighter trains out of American Top Team and has built a reputation as one of the most well-rounded competitors in the sport. His wrestling credentials are reflected in his career statistics — he averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that places him among the elite in that department at 170 cm tall with a 183 cm reach.
Faber, the 47-year-old American veteran known as "The California Kid," carries a career record of 35-11-0 and remains one of the most decorated figures in MMA history. A product of Team Alpha Male, Faber has long been recognized for his own wrestling base and submission threat, averaging 1.54 takedowns and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes across his career. At 168 cm with a 170 cm reach, he was notably undersized in the matchup against Tsarukyan.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's 13-1 margin underlines his wrestling as a genuine elite weapon, not just a complementary tool
- The amplitude throw and mat exit moment represent the kind of dominant positional control that translates directly into MMA cage performance
- For Faber, the result is a rare lopsided defeat in a grappling format against a significantly younger opponent
- The showcase adds to Tsarukyan's profile at a time when the lightweight division is watching his every performance closely
