Arman Tsarukyan secured a victory over former UFC bantamweight champion Urijah Faber in a wrestling bout. The match took place as part of the RAF wrestling series. Specific details about the method or scoring of the victory are not elaborated in this brief report. This represents a crossover between MMA and competitive wrestling for both athletes.
Arman Tsarukyan added a wrestling victory to his combat sports resume on April 19, 2026, defeating Urijah Faber in a bout held as part of the RAF wrestling series, marking a crossover moment for both fighters outside the MMA cage.
Tsarukyan, 29, enters this kind of competition from a position of considerable momentum. The Russian lightweight is ranked number one in the UFC's 155-pound division and carries a professional MMA record of 23-3. Representing American Top Team, he stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and is one of the more complete fighters in his weight class, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy of 50 percent. His grappling credentials in MMA are well established, making the transition to competitive wrestling a natural extension of his skill set.
Faber, now 47 years old and a longtime fixture of the sport, competed under the Team Alpha Male banner. Known as "The California Kid," the former UFC bantamweight champion holds a career MMA record of 35-11. He stands five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach and built much of his reputation on relentless wrestling and submission pressure, averaging 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes over his career. His willingness to test himself in the RAF wrestling format at this stage of his career speaks to his continued engagement with combat sports.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's win reinforces his credentials as an elite grappler at the top of the lightweight division
- Faber's participation highlights the growing crossover appeal of the RAF wrestling series among established MMA names
- The result adds to Tsarukyan's competitive profile at a pivotal point in his UFC lightweight title pursuit
