Arman Tsarukyan to Wrestle Urijah Faber at RAF 8

Arman Tsarukyan's grappling and wrestling career continues to thrive. The top UFC lightweight contender is set to face UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in a freestyle wrestling match on April 18th. The Real American Freestyle organization announced that the Armenian fighter will return to the mat for the co-main event of RAF 8 in Philadelphia. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 79 kg (174 lbs).

Faber was originally scheduled to wrestle Kaden Henschel, though the reason for the opponent change was not disclosed. This will mark Tsarukyan's seventh combat sports appearance since his last UFC fight in November. Following his dominant submission victory over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, Tsarukyan has competed for RAF, Hype FC, and ACBJJ. Last weekend, Tsarukyan defeated his rival Giorgio Poulos for the second time at RAF 7.

It remains unclear when Tsarukyan will be booked for his next UFC bout. For Faber, this will be his second appearance under the RAF banner. In February, he lost via technical fall to Henry Cejudo at RAF 6. The 46-year-old fighter is best known for his time as WEC Featherweight Champion and his subsequent career as a UFC Bantamweight contender between 2011 and 2019, when he retired from MMA.

The main event of RAF 8 will feature a 70 kg (154 lbs) bout between Cejudo and former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. This will serve as a rematch following their encounter at UFC 298, which Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision.

The event will take place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.