Arman Tsarukyan will compete against Tony Ferguson in a wrestling match at the RAF (wrestling league) event scheduled for June 13th. This appears to be a grappling-only contest rather than an MMA bout. The announcement was made via the RAF organization's official channels. Details about the specific ruleset, whether it's submission grappling or freestyle wrestling, are not provided in the post. This marks an unusual crossover for both fighters, as they typically compete in MMA.
Arman Tsarukyan and Tony Ferguson are set to meet on the mat rather than in the cage, with the Russian lightweight contender booked to face the MMA veteran at a RAF wrestling league event on June 13.
Tsarukyan, 29, enters the crossover contest as the number-one ranked lightweight in MMA, carrying a 23-3 record built largely through his work at American Top Team. Standing five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he is one of the more accomplished grapplers in his division, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes in MMA competition with a striking accuracy of 50 percent.
Ferguson, nicknamed El Cucuy, is a 42-year-old veteran from the United States currently training out of Knuckleheadz MMA. He holds a 26-11 record and brings a six-foot-one frame and a 76-inch reach to the contest. In MMA, he has long been known for his submission threat, averaging 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and his high striking output of 4.91 significant strikes landed per minute.
The announcement came through the RAF organization's official channels. Specific details about the ruleset — whether the bout will follow submission grappling or freestyle wrestling formats — have not been disclosed.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender in MMA, making any public competition he enters closely watched by the division.
- Ferguson's submission grappling background gives him a credible foundation in this format, even as he moves outside MMA at age 42.
- The ruleset remains unclear, which could significantly shape how each fighter's skill set translates to the wrestling league context.
