Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber via technical superiority with a dominant 13-1 score in the third round at RAF 08. The wrestling match saw Tsarukyan dominate throughout, fulfilling his promise to throw Faber into the crowd. After the victory, Tsarukyan challenged Colby Covington, stating he would aim for a 10-0 score and vowing to make people forget Covington as a wrestler. The event also featured victories by Kyle Snyder, Zachid Valencia, Shamil Sharipov, Helen Maroulis, and others in various wrestling matches.
Arman Tsarukyan added a wrestling trophy to his combat sports resume on April 19, defeating Urijah Faber by technical superiority with a dominant 13-1 score in the third round at RAF 08.
Tsarukyan, 29, is best known as the number-one ranked lightweight contender in MMA with a professional record of 23-3-0. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, is a well-rounded threat who lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy and averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes inside the cage. He apparently carried that wrestling pedigree directly onto the mat at RAF 08, controlling Faber throughout the bout and reportedly fulfilling a pre-match promise to throw his opponent into the crowd.
Faber, the 47-year-old American veteran known as "The California Kid," carries a career MMA record of 35-11-0 and built his reputation at Team Alpha Male. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, he has long been regarded as one of the sport's most durable competitors, but found no answer for Tsarukyan's dominance across the rounds contested.
Following the victory, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, stating he would target a 10-0 score against "Chaos" and vowing to make people forget Covington's reputation as a wrestler. Covington, 38, holds an MMA record of 17-5-0 and averages 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the most prolific wrestling-based fighters in the sport. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's dominant wrestling performance strengthens his credentials beyond MMA and amplifies his callout of Covington
- Covington's identity is built heavily on his wrestling output, giving the challenge added symbolic weight
- A potential Tsarukyan-Covington matchup, in any combat format, would pit two of MMA's most active wrestlers against each other
