At RAF 8, Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber by technical superiority with a 13-1 score in the third round. Kyle Snyder defeated Rizabek Aitmukhan by points 12-6. Zahid Valencia beat Aiden Sinclair 8-2 on points. Shamil Sharipov defeated Anthony Cassiopi by pinfall in round one. Helen Marulis scored a technical superiority victory over Alexis Janiak 10-0 in round two. Other notable results included Real Woods defeating Anthony Ashno 7-2, Jason Nolf beating Joey Blaze 11-2, and Vladimer Khinchegashvili defeating Johnny DiJulius 8-5.
Arman Tsarukyan picked up a dominant technical superiority victory over Urijah Faber at RAF 8 on April 19, 2026, stopping the bout in the third round with a commanding 13-1 score on the cards.
Tsarukyan, 29, carries a 23-3 professional MMA record and holds the number-one ranking in the UFC lightweight division. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, is one of the most well-rounded operators in the 155-pound class, landing 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy while also averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. His performance against Faber was a further demonstration of that all-around pressure game.
Faber, the 47-year-old veteran known as "The California Kid," came in with a career record of 35-11. The Sacramento-born fighter, a longtime staple of Team Alpha Male, has a five-foot-six frame and a 67-inch reach, and has built his reputation on grappling and toughness through decades of competition. He averages 2.65 significant strikes per minute but found little answer for Tsarukyan's output across the three rounds.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's dominant margin reinforces his standing as the top-ranked lightweight contender heading into any future title conversations.
- The lopsided score of 13-1 underlines the gulf between Tsarukyan's current form and the challenge Faber presented.
- RAF 8 also featured a string of high-profile wrestling results, with Kyle Snyder defeating Rizabek Aitmukhan 12-6, Zahid Valencia beating Aiden Sinclair 8-2, Helen Marulis scoring a 10-0 technical superiority over Alexis Janiak, and Shamil Sharipov submitting Anthony Cassiopi in round one, adding depth to an already loaded card.
