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Tag: RAF 08

  • Arman Tsarukyan Dominates Urijah Faber In Technical Fall

    Arman Tsarukyan Dominates Urijah Faber In Technical Fall

    Arman Tsarukyan once again showed why he’s one of the top talents in RAF, not making his bout with Urijah Faber — which served as the RAF 08 main event — even close to being competitive.

    Tsarukyan completely dominated the first period, scoring a takedown and two exposures of Faber, getting his shoulders to the mat and racking up eight points in lightning-quick fashion.

    An aggressive takedown attempt saw Tsarukyan push himself and Faber not just off the mat but also over the announcers’ table. Each man was awarded a point.

    In the third, Tsarukyan landed a double-leg takedown and ended the bout with a technical fall.

    Tsarukyan then called out Colby Covington, with the two having a staredown after the bout.

    Tsarukyan is now 4-0 in RAF, making his debut at RAF 05 in January with a win over Lance Palmer before his infamous two bouts with Georgio Poullas.

    Faber faced Cejudo at RAF 06, losing by technical fall.

    This bout was promoted to the main event after Henry Cejudo withdrew on the day of RAF 08, citing an injury, causing his bout with Merab Dvalishvili to be canceled.

  • Henry Cejudo Out Of RAF 08 Main Event vs Merab Dvalishvili, Arman Tsarukyan vs Urijah Faber Promoted To Top Spot

    Henry Cejudo Out Of RAF 08 Main Event vs Merab Dvalishvili, Arman Tsarukyan vs Urijah Faber Promoted To Top Spot

    Henry Cejudo has been forced out of the main event at RAF 08 after suffering a last-minute injury, scrapping his scheduled rematch with Merab Dvalishvili.

    The bout was set to headline the Real American Freestyle card at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, where Cejudo was expected to face Dvalishvili in a wrestling-based contest following their previous meeting under the UFC banner.

    However, the promotion confirmed the matchup has been canceled on short notice due to Cejudo’s withdrawal.

    “Triple C” had appeared in good spirits during the pre-fight press conference, even exchanging light verbal jabs with the former UFC bantamweight titleholder just a day before the event. The exact nature of his injury has not been disclosed, and there is currently no word on whether the matchup will be rescheduled.

    The cancellation marks a setback for RAF, which had positioned the rematch as one of the card’s key attractions. The two fighters previously met at UFC 298 in 2024, with “The Machine” earning a unanimous decision victory on his way to capturing UFC gold.

    With the former two-division UFC champion sidelined, Arman Tsarukyan now steps into the headlining spot against veteran Urijah Faber. Tsarukyan enters the bout in strong form, having gone unbeaten in his appearances under the RAF banner this year.

    The co-main event will feature Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder taking on Rizabek Aitmukhan as the promotion reshuffles its lineup just hours before fight night.

  • RAF 08 Results: Cejudo vs. Dvalishvili

    RAF 08 Results: Cejudo vs. Dvalishvili

    UPDATE: Henry Cejudo has withdrawn from tonight’s main event. Urijah Faber vs. Arman Tsarukyan has been promoted from co-main event to main event.

    RAF 08 results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The main event will feature a middleweight matchup between Urijah Faber and Arman Tsarukyan. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    Urijah Faber vs. Arman Tsarukyan – Middleweight Main Event

    The originally scheduled main event would have seen the RAF debut of Merab Dvalishvili, taking on Henry Cejudo. The two had competed at UFC 298, with Dvalishvili taking a clear decision win.

    Cejudo, however, has withdrawn from tonight’s event due to an injury.

    Since 2021, Faber, the UFC Hall of Famer, has competed in various Combat Grappling and wrestling tournaments. Tsarukyan competed in the main event of RAF 07, defeating Georgio Poullas in their highly anticipated and heated rematch from RAF 06 — where the two got into a post-match altercation.

    The RAF light heavyweight title will be on the line tonight when Kyle Snyder defends against Rizabek Aitmukhan, and Helen Maroulis defends the RAF women’s flyweight title against Alexis Janiak.

    If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from RAF 08!

    How to Watch RAF 08

    • Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
    • Venue: Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • Streaming: FOX Nation (Exclusive)
    • Start Time: 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT

    RAF 08 Results & Highlights

    Full Card Results (FOX Nation, 8 PM ET)

    Lightweight Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo

    Result: BOUT CANCELED DUE TO CEJUDO INJURY

    Middleweight Main Event: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Urijah Faber

    Result: Arman Tsarukyan def. Urijah Faber via technical fall (13-1)

    RAF Light Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Kyle Snyder vs. Rizabek Aitmukhan

    Result: Kyle Snyder def. Rizabek Aitmukhan via points (12-6)

    Cruiserweight: Zahid Valencia vs. Aeoden Sinclair

    Result: Zahid Valencia def. Aeoden Sinclair via points (8-2)

    Heavyweight: Anthony Cassioppi vs. Shamil Sharipov

    Result: Shamil Sharipov def. Anthony Cassioppi via pin (2:45)

    RAF Women’s Flyweight Championship: Helen Maroulis vs. Alexis Janiak

    Result: Helen Maroulis def. Alexis Janiak via technical fall (10-0)

    Featherweight: Real Woods vs. Anthony Ashnault

    Result: Real Woods def. Anthony Ashnault via points (7-2)

    Middleweight: Jason Nolf vs. Joey Blaze

    Result: Jason Nolf def. Joey Blaze via points (11-2)

    Featherweight: Vladimer Khinchegashvili vs. Johnni DiJulius

    Result: Vladimer Khinchegashvili vs. Johnni DiJulius via points (8-5)

    Lightweight: Lance Palmer vs. Cayden Henschel

    Result: Lance Palmer def. Cayden Henschel via points (3-2)

    Featherweight: Jordan Oliver vs. Mike Vanbrill

    Result: Jordan Oliver def. Mike Vanbrill via points (5-0)

    Bantamweight: Darian Cruz vs. Lucas Byrd

    Result: Lucas Byrd def. Darian Cruz via points (2-2) (Byrd gets tiebreaker by being last to score)

  • RAF 08: Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo Preview, Full Card, How to Watch

    RAF 08: Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo Preview, Full Card, How to Watch

    RAF 08 Card

    RAF 08: Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo takes place Saturday, April 18, from The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The card begins at 8:00 PM ET and streams exclusively on FOX Nation.

    Real American Freestyle’s Philadelphia card stacks 12 matchups pairing UFC crossover names, Olympic medalists, and recent NCAA standouts.

    Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo Headlines RAF 08

    The main event puts elite UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili on the freestyle mat against former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Cejudo arrives off his 11-0 technical fall win over Urijah Faber at RAF 06, a performance that cemented his status as one of RAF’s marquee attractions.

    Dvalishvili is one of the most decorated grapplers on the current UFC roster and a top bantamweight contender. He brings a deep wrestling résumé into his Real American Freestyle debut, adding another high-level storyline to the Philadelphia headliner.

    Tsarukyan vs. Faber in Co-Main

    Arman Tsarukyan meets UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in a featured middleweight bout in the co-main event slot. Tsarukyan is coming off his RAF 07 rematch win over Georgio Poullas, while Faber returns looking to rebound after dropping his RAF debut to Cejudo earlier this year.

    Snyder vs. Aitmukhan at Light Heavyweight

    Kyle Snyder faces Rizabek Aitmukhan of Kazakhstan at light heavyweight. Snyder is an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most credentialed American freestyle wrestlers ever to step onto a pro mat.

    Full Match Card

    • Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
    • Middleweight (Co-Main): Arman Tsarukyan vs. Urijah Faber
    • Light Heavyweight: Kyle Snyder vs. Rizabek Aitmukhan
    • Cruiserweight: Zahid Valencia vs. Aeoden Sinclair
    • Heavyweight: Anthony Cassioppi vs. Shamil Sharipov
    • Bantamweight: Helen Maroulis vs. Alexis Janiak
    • Featherweight: Real Woods vs. Anthony Ashnault
    • Middleweight (175 lbs): Jason Nolf vs. Joey Blaze
    • Featherweight: Vladimer Khinchegashvili vs. Johnni DiJulius
    • Lightweight: Lance Palmer vs. Cayden Henschel
    • Featherweight: Jordan Oliver vs. Mike Vanbrill
    • Bantamweight (135 lbs): Darian Cruz vs. Lucas Byrd

    Key Undercard Matchups

    The middleweight bout between Jason Nolf and Joey Blaze pits a multi-time NCAA champion against a 2026 NCAA All-American fresh off the college mat. The bantamweight closer between Darian Cruz and Lucas Byrd pairs two past NCAA standouts, with Cruz now representing Puerto Rico internationally.

    How to Watch RAF 08

    • Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
    • Venue: The Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA
    • Streaming: FOX Nation (exclusive)

    Looking ahead, Gable Steveson makes his RAF debut against Alexandr Romanov at RAF 09 on May 30 in Dallas.

    Don’t Miss MMA News Coverage

    Stay tuned to MMANews.com for live results, match recaps, and post-event reaction from RAF 08.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Signs With RAF Wrestling, Debuts April 18

    Merab Dvalishvili Signs With RAF Wrestling, Debuts April 18

    UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili is set to step onto a different kind of mat this spring, signing with Real American Freestyle (RAF Wrestling) and confirming his debut for RAF08 on April 18. The event is scheduled for the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and will stream on FOX Nation as the upstart freestyle league continues to feature high-profile names from the MMA world.

    Dvalishvili, long regarded as one of the UFC’s most relentless grapplers, will compete under freestyle wrestling rules as part of RAF’s push to showcase elite combat sports athletes in a professional, unscripted format built around real wrestling.

    Promotion officials have yet to announce an opponent for “The Machine,” but RAF executives have framed his signing as a major statement of intent as the company builds its 2026 schedule around crossover stars from wrestling and MMA.

    About Real American Freestyle

    RAF, founded in 2025 and headquartered in Florida, has quickly carved out a niche by bringing current and former amateur standouts, Olympians, and MMA fighters into a paid freestyle league, with recent and upcoming events featuring names such as Colby Covington, Luke Rockhold, Henry Cejudo, and Urijah Faber.

    Dvalishvili’s April appearance at RAF08 will mark his first competitive outing outside the UFC in several years and adds further crossover intrigue for fans tracking his next move in the octagon.