Arman Tsarukyan secured a dominant victory over Urijah Faber at RAF 8 with a technical superiority win, ending the match 13-1 in the third round. The bout featured Tsarukyan throwing Faber outside the wrestling mat and executing an amplitude throw. The event also included other notable matches with Kyle Snyder defeating Rizabek Aitmukhan 12-6, and Zakid Valencia beating Aiden Sinclair 8-2. Shamil Sharipov won via pinfall in the first round against Anthony Cassiopi. The RAF 8 card showcased multiple wrestling matches between top-level competitors from various combat sports backgrounds.
Arman Tsarukyan added a wrestling-mat performance to his combat sports résumé at RAF 8 on April 19, 2026, defeating Urijah Faber by technical superiority with a commanding 13-1 scoreline in the third round.
Tsarukyan, 29, enters any competitive arena with serious credentials. The Russian-born lightweight, who trains out of American Top Team, carries a 23-3-0 professional MMA record and holds the number-one divisional ranking at lightweight. Standing five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he is one of the more physically imposing fighters in his weight class. His output and precision translate across combat disciplines, as his MMA numbers show 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute at 50 percent accuracy, along with 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Faber, competing at 47 years old, remains one of the most recognizable names in combat sports. The California Kid represents Team Alpha Male and carries a 35-11-0 record built across a lengthy MMA career. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, Faber has long relied on grappling and toughness, averaging 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition. The bout highlighted the gap between the two in a pure wrestling context, with Tsarukyan throwing Faber outside the mat boundary and landing an amplitude throw among the scoring exchanges.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's dominant scoreline and technical execution reinforce his elite grappling ability ahead of any future lightweight title pursuits
- Faber's willingness to compete in wrestling formats at 47 continues to demonstrate his longevity in combat sports, though the result underlines the generational difference between the two
- The RAF 8 card brought together multiple high-level MMA competitors in a wrestling setting, adding cross-discipline context to their athletic profiles
