Arman Tsarukyan dominated Urijah Faber in a wrestling match at RAF, winning 13-1 via technical superiority. During the bout, Tsarukyan threw Faber out of bounds into the fans, fulfilling a promise he made at the press conference. After the victory, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, stating he will aim for a 10-0 score and make people forget about Covington as a wrestler. The post also notes that Gilbert Burns has retired and that the Guskov-Blachowicz fight was cancelled but replaced with Ibo Baranievski as a substitute opponent. Khamzat Chimaev has also signed with RAF.
Arman Tsarukyan picked up a dominant victory over Urijah Faber at a Russian Association of Fighting (RAF) event on April 19, winning a wrestling match by technical superiority with a lopsided 13-1 scoreline.
Tsarukyan made good on a promise from the pre-event press conference, throwing Faber out of bounds and into the crowd during the contest. Following the win, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, vowing to score 10-0 against him and declare himself the superior wrestler.
Faber, 47, is an American combat sports veteran who carries a 35-11 career record. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, the Team Alpha Male fighter has long been regarded as one of the sport's most recognizable names. He lands 2.65 significant strikes per minute and averages 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition.
Elsewhere in the RAF news, welterweight Gilbert Burns has announced his retirement. The Brazilian, who competed out of Kill Cliff FC, finishes his career at 22-10. Burns was 39 years old and ranked 13th in the welterweight division. He averaged 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes and landed strikes at a 48 percent accuracy rate across his career.
The event also saw a card change when a scheduled bout involving Jan Blachowicz and a fighter named Guskov was cancelled, with Ibo Baranievski stepping in as a replacement opponent.
In a separate development, Khamzat Chimaev has signed with RAF. The 32-year-old, who competes out of Allstars Training Center, holds a 15-1 record and is ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev averages an exceptional 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and strikes at 60 percent accuracy, making him one of the most complete fighters in the sport at present.
