Tsarukyan dominates Faber 13-1 with throw outside mat boundaries

Arman Tsarukyan added another chapter to his grappling résumé on April 19, 2026, defeating Urijah Faber by a commanding 13-1 score at a RAF wrestling event, with highlight moments that included throwing Faber clean off the mat boundaries and landing a high-amplitude throw that drew considerable attention.

Tsarukyan, 29, carries a 23-3 professional MMA record and currently holds the number-one contender ranking in the UFC lightweight division. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and backs up his wrestling credentials with MMA numbers to match — averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a 50 percent accuracy clip.

Faber, known as "The California Kid," is 47 years old and holds a 35-11-0 MMA record accumulated across a long career competing primarily at bantamweight and featherweight. The Team Alpha Male product stands five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach and built his reputation in part on an active submission game, averaging 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes over his career.

Why it matters

• The lopsided 13-1 score underlines Tsarukyan's takedown-heavy grappling style, which already ranks among the most active in the lightweight division
• For Faber, the result is a noteworthy defeat against a fighter nearly two decades his junior and operating at the top of a heavier weight class
• The performance keeps Tsarukyan's wrestling credentials in the spotlight as he pursues a shot at the UFC lightweight title