Arman Tsarukyan dominated Urijah Faber in their RAF wrestling match, winning by a score of 13-1. During the bout, Tsarukyan threw Faber outside the wrestling mat boundaries and executed an amplitude throw. The lopsided victory represents one of the main UFC-related RAF headlines of the week. The match showcased Tsarukyan's wrestling credentials against the former UFC bantamweight contender and WEC champion. Tsarukyan's performance demonstrated clear superiority over the veteran Faber in the wrestling format.
Arman Tsarukyan added another highlight to his 2026 calendar by dominating Urijah Faber in a RAF wrestling match, winning by a commanding 13-1 scoreline.
Tsarukyan, the number-one ranked lightweight contender in the UFC, brought his full wrestling arsenal to the mat. The 29-year-old Russian, fighting out of American Top Team, holds a professional MMA record of 23-3 and is widely regarded as one of the most complete grapplers in the lightweight division. His takedown output backs that reputation — he averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition. Against Faber, that physical dominance translated seamlessly into the wrestling format, with Tsarukyan throwing his opponent outside the mat boundaries and landing an amplitude throw that helped balloon the scoreline.
On the other side of the mat stood Urijah "The California Kid" Faber, the 47-year-old American legend who built his reputation at Team Alpha Male and went 35-11 across a storied MMA career. A former WEC champion and longtime UFC bantamweight contender, Faber stands five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, giving away notable size to Tsarukyan, who carries a 72-inch reach. While Faber has always shown wrestling competence inside the cage — averaging 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes during his career — the RAF format exposed the physical and age gap between the two men.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's performance reinforces his credentials as a premier wrestling threat at lightweight, not just a striking danger
- The result draws wider attention to RAF wrestling as a crossover competitive format for active and veteran UFC figures
- Faber, at 47 and well past his competitive prime, faced a significant physical mismatch against one of the division's elite athletes
