RAF 8 featured multiple wrestling matches with notable results across various weight classes. Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber by technical superiority 13-1 in round three. Olympic champion Kyle Snyder beat Rizabek Aitmukhan 12-6 on points. Zakhid Valencia defeated Aiden Sinclair 8-2, while Shamil Sharipov pinned Anthony Cassiopi in round one. Helen Marulis won by technical superiority 10-0 in round two over Alexis Yaniak. Additional victories came from Real Woods, Jason Nolf, Vladimer Khinchegashvili, Lance Palmer, Jordan Oliver, and Lucas Byrd in their respective matches. The event showcased high-level wrestling competition with several dominant performances.
Arman Tsarukyan picked up a dominant victory at RAF 8 on April 19, 2026, defeating Urijah Faber by technical superiority with a 13-1 score in the third round. The card also featured wins for Kyle Snyder, Zakhid Valencia, Shamil Sharipov, Helen Marulis, and several others across multiple wrestling weight classes.
Tsarukyan, 29, carries a 23-3 MMA record and is ranked number one in the UFC lightweight division, representing Russia out of American Top Team. Standing five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he is a relentless pressure wrestler who averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition and lands significant strikes at a rate of 3.85 per minute with 50 percent accuracy. His performance against Faber reflected the kind of sustained, suffocating wrestling that has defined his rise through the lightweight ranks.
Faber, the 47-year-old veteran known as The California Kid, holds a 35-11 career MMA record and built his reputation as one of the most durable and technically refined fighters Team Alpha Male has ever produced. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, he has averaged 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes throughout his career. The 13-1 margin against Tsarukyan underlines the significant physical and competitive gap between the two men at this stage.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's dominant wrestling display reinforces his credentials as a top-tier grappler beyond his MMA striking reputation
- Faber, at 47, continues to compete in high-level wrestling formats well into the later years of his career
- The RAF 8 card demonstrated broad depth, with Snyder, Valencia, Sharipov, Marulis, and others all posting convincing results across multiple disciplines
