Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber with a dominant 13-1 score and fulfilled his promise to throw him into the fans after the match. Following the bout, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, vowing to aim for a 10-0 victory and not give him a single point. He explained he gave one point to Faber out of respect for his age, but will fight Covington with everything he has. Tsarukyan stated that people have forgotten about Covington as a fighter, and he will make them forget about him as a wrestler too. The post also mentions Gilbert Burns retired, commentary on Ian Machado Garry, a canceled Guskov-Blachowicz fight replaced by Ibo Baraniewicz, and Khamzat Chimaev signing with RAF.
Arman Tsarukyan capped a dominant grappling performance against Urijah Faber with a 13-1 scoreline and then wasted no time calling out Colby Covington, setting the stage for what could be a compelling next chapter.
Tsarukyan made good on a pre-fight promise by throwing Faber into the crowd after the final buzzer, a theatrical flourish that underscored the lopsided nature of the contest. Speaking afterward, Tsarukyan said he deliberately conceded one point to Faber as a gesture of respect for the veteran's age, but vowed no such courtesy would be extended to Covington. He stated his intention to beat Covington 10-0 and strip away any remaining reputation he holds as a wrestler.
Elsewhere on the card, welterweight veteran Gilbert Burns, 39, announced his retirement, closing out a career that saw the Brazilian finish with a 22-10 record fighting out of Kill Cliff FC. Burns competed at welterweight and sat at number 13 in the divisional rankings at the time of his final bout, leaving behind a legacy built on sharp striking and a reliable takedown game at 2.12 attempts per fifteen minutes.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's callout of Covington signals he is targeting high-profile names rather than a title shot, which could shake up welterweight scheduling.
- Burns's retirement removes a ranked welterweight from the divisional picture, potentially opening movement for fighters beneath him at number 13.
- Khamzat Chimaev, ranked first at middleweight and tenth pound-for-pound with a 15-1 record, signed with RAF, adding another layer of roster movement to an already active period for the sport.
