Arman Tsarukyan dominates Urijah Faber in RAF 8 main event blowout. The Real American Freestyle (RAF) 8 event took place on April 18, 2026, at the Liacouras Center, airing live on FOX Nation. The night was headlined by a highly anticipated freestyle wrestling clash between UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and former WEC champion Urijah Faber. What was expected to be a competitive showcase quickly turned into a dominant performance from Tsarukyan.
Originally scheduled as the co-main event of the night, Tsarukyan vs. Faber was promoted to the main event after Henry Cejudo pulled out of his fight with Merab Dvalishvili due to injury just hours before the event. Tsarukyan came out in a black singlet, while Faber wore a white and black singlet. Tsarukyan moved straight to the center as both men reached for hand contact. Faber did well keeping his feet moving, but Tsarukyan quickly forced a tie-up. He showed clear strength advantage in the clinch, getting Faber moving before snapping him down.
He scored 2 points, then trapped an arm and rolled into a gut-wrench for another 2. Faber tried to defend, but Tsarukyan turned him again for 2 more, jumping to an 8–0 lead almost immediately. Tsarukyan then released and reset back to the feet. Faber, despite being much smaller, tried to bring some offense of his own in the clinch, working for position. Tsarukyan didn’t rush anything. He attempted an inside single, but Faber defended well, and Tsarukyan showed no urgency to finish. The period ended that way.
The second period came and Faber stayed active early, trying to avoid bad positions with constant movement. Tsarukyan looked relaxed, applying light pressure. Tsarukyan grabbed a leg and started driving. Faber was hopping on one foot, trying to stay upright, but Tsarukyan powered him all the way off the stage and right over the commentary booth. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. The score moved to 9–1. Tsarukyan earned a push-out point, but Faber also got a point due to Tsarukyan’s over-aggression.
Faber tried to rally, showing energy, but Tsarukyan’s size advantage was obvious. He stayed attached to an arm, then dropped down as Faber tried to scramble. Tsarukyan controlled the position, drove him to the edge, then backed off. He repeated that pattern more than once, and was clearly in control.
Period three started and they restarted in a tie-up immediately. Tsarukyan looked playful in his approach. He finally ducked under for a clean single into a high-crotch, but Faber defended well, keeping a leg and staying upright.
Still, Tsarukyan stayed locked in and finished with a big throw to close the match. It was a dominant display from start to finish.
From the opening whistle to the final throw, Arman Tsarukyan made it clear this was never going to be a close contest. His strength, control, and relentless pressure overwhelmed Urijah Faber at every stage of the match. By the end, it wasn’t just a win, it was a complete domination from start to finish, capped with a decisive tech fall that left no doubt about who ran the show at RAF 8.
Check out RAF 8 results below.
RAF 8 Fight Card
Arman Tsarukyan def. Urijah Faber via Tech Fall (13-1) — Period 3
Kyle Snyder def. Rizabek Aitmukhan via Points (12-6)
Zahid Valencia def. Aeoden Sinclair via Points (8-2)
Shamil Sharipov def. Anthony Cassioppi via Pinfall — Round 1
Helen Maroulis def. Alexis Janiak via Tech Fall (10-0) — Round 2
Real Woods def. Anthony Ashnault via points (7-2)
Jason Nolf def. Joey Blaze via Points (11-2)
Vladimer Khinchegashvili def. Johnni DiJulius via Points (8-5)
Lance Palmer def. Cayden Henschel via Points (3-2)
Jordan Oliver def. Mike Vanbrill via Points (5-0)
Lucas Byrd def. Darian Cruz via Criteria (2-2)
