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  • 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)

  • Henry Cejudo Scores Shutout, Will Face Merab Dvalishvili in April

    Henry Cejudo Scores Shutout, Will Face Merab Dvalishvili in April

    While his UFC career did not end in the greatest of success, Henry Cejudo showed why he’s been one of the greatest wrestlers in the discipline, scoring an 11-0 technical fall win over Urijah Faber in the RAF 6 main event.

    Cejudo did not let Faber into the contest for a moment, as he ankle picked his fellow UFC alumnus and took over from there. Cejudo used several takedowns during the contest to rack up points. While Faber would try to use his grappling defense, it wasn’t enough.

    Cejudo scored 11 points before Faber could even get on the board, resulting in a dominant technical fall win for the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion.

    Henry Cejudo Faces Off With Merab Dvalishvili After Win Over Urijah Faber At RAF 6

    Following his victory, Cejudo called out fellow former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.

    Cejudo made the challenge to be Dvalishvili’s first RAF opponent after his recent signing. Dvalishvili accepted the match, with the two being booked to headline RAF 8 in Philadelphia this April.

    “Merab Dvalishvili, you’re next!” Cejudo said. “You didn’t beat me! April in Philly, I’m going to spank you, Merab. Sign the contract. I’m going to make you bend the knee!”

    Cejudo and Dvalishvili faced off at UFC 298 in February 2024, with Dvalishvili winning before going on to capture the UFC bantamweight title later that year.

  • Faber Defends Ngannou Amid UFC Contract Negotiations: “Pay That Man”

    Urijah Faber is coming to the defense of Francis Ngannou.

    There have been public disagreements between Francis Ngannou and the UFC lately. Contract negotiations have been a problem for Ngannou, and he has been vocal about wanting more from the promotion.

    One man who thinks Ngannou deserves more is Urijah Faber. He spoke a bit to The Schmo about what the UFC should do with Ngannou and his contract situation.

    “I think the answer is money. Pay that man the money,” Faber said. “He’s the heavyweight champion of the world. I really think that when it really comes down to the really last minute, I feel that the UFC will pony up and hopefully they reach an agreement that works because we all want to see the best fighters in the world in the UFC. I know I do.”

    Ngannou has just defended the UFC heavyweight title successfully at UFC 270. Leading up to the fight, there was plenty of talk about his contract status. After Ngannou won the heavyweight title, he wanted a fight against Jon Jones. Jones also wanted the fight, but they wanted to be paid more than what was offered.

    This interim title being created just months after Ngannou won created a rift between him and the UFC. Over the next few months, Ngannou was vocal about wanting to be paid more. He also wanted to be able to box if he had the opportunity. After defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou now needs time off to heal from injury.

    Faber has been with the UFC for many years and knows how the system works. He is hopeful that Ngannou and the promotion can come to an agreement and keep him on the roster.

    Do you agree with Urijah Faber to think the UFC needs to give Ngannou what he wants?

  • Faber to Swanson: We Might Have To See Who’s The King of California

    Urijah Faber and Cub Swanson may be on a collision course in 2022 as the two veterans look to continue their respective UFC careers.

    Faber hasn’t fought in the Octagon in a little over two years since his knockout loss to Petr Yan at UFC 245. It was his second fight back in the cage after retiring in 2016.

    Faber hasn’t ruled out continuing his combat sports career alongside his leadership at Team Alpha Male. One name who has been making the rounds is Swanson, who recently hinted at a potential fight with Faber in a throwback matchup.

    During a recent post on his YouTube channel, Faber opined about a possible veteran vs. veteran matchup in the UFC.

    “Honestly, I know he broke his hand, that might give me enough time to train,” Faber said. “He might drop down to 135 – we were supposed to fight back in 2004, with King of the Cage on short notice for a thousand bucks, I think they were gonna pay him a couple of hundred bucks and me a thousand bucks and that never happened, so Cubby, I’m honored that I’m your dream fight here in this scenario. So we might have to find out who the king of California is, I don’t know.”

    Swanson most recently defeated Darren Elkins at UFC Vegas 45 and has won three of his last four bouts. His most recent defeat was to the rising featherweight contender Giga Chikadze, who finished him with a brutal body kick and ground-and-pound strikes.

    Swanson first brought up the idea of facing Faber in late 2020, and conversations regarding the matchup have resurfaced in recent weeks.

    It’s unclear if Swanson intends on moving down to 135 pounds at this stage in his career, but it has worked out well for fighters such as José Aldo. If Swanson wants to move down to bantamweight, Faber seems like a game opponent who could be ready to fight this year.

    Would you be interested in a Urijah Faber vs. Cub Swanson matchup?