RAF 8 wrestling event results saw Arman Tsarukyan defeat Urijah Faber by technical superiority 13-1 in the third round. Kyle Snyder defeated Rizabek Aitmukhan by points 12-6, while Zachid Valencia beat Aiden Sinclair 8-2. Shamil Sharipov secured a first-round pinfall victory over Anthony Cassiopi, and Helen Maroulis dominated Alexis Yaniak with a 10-0 technical superiority in round two. Other winners included Real Woods over Anthony Ashno (7-2), Jason Nolf over Joey Blaze (11-2), Vladimir Khinchegashvili over Johnny DiJulius (8-5), Lance Palmer over Cayden Henschel (3-2), Jordan Oliver over Mike Vanbrill (5-0), and Lucas Byrd over Darian Cruz (2-2 on criteria).
Arman Tsarukyan headlined RAF 8 on April 19, 2026, turning in a commanding performance against Urijah Faber and leading a card filled with notable wrestling results across multiple bouts.
Tsarukyan, the 29-year-old Russian who holds the number-one ranking in the UFC lightweight division, overwhelmed Faber by technical superiority, building a 13-1 advantage before the match was stopped in the third round. Known inside the cage for averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a 50 percent accuracy clip, Tsarukyan demonstrated the grappling aggression that has defined his MMA career. He trains out of American Top Team and carries a professional MMA record of 23-3.
Faber, the 47-year-old veteran from the United States known as The California Kid, was on the wrong end of the lopsided score. The Team Alpha Male product stands five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach and holds a career MMA record of 35-11. Despite his accomplished combat sports background, the margin of defeat reflected a significant difference in wrestling-specific output on the night.
Elsewhere on the card, Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder posted a 12-6 points win over Rizabek Aitmukhan, and Zachid Valencia handled Aiden Sinclair by an 8-2 score. Shamil Sharipov earned the most decisive finish of the evening, pinning Anthony Cassiopi in the first round. Helen Maroulis dominated Alexis Yaniak 10-0 by technical superiority in round two. Lance Palmer, the 38-year-old American with a 23-6 MMA record, edged Cayden Henschel 3-2 in a closely contested bout.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's lopsided win over a combat sports veteran like Faber reinforces his elite grappling credentials ahead of potential UFC title pursuits
- Maroulis and Snyder continued to demonstrate the depth of American wrestling on the card
- Palmer's narrow victory showed the competitive nature of the event beyond the headline match
