Arman Tsarukyan techs Urijah Faber in RAF 8 main event
Arman Tsarukyan finished Urijah Faber via tech fall in the third period at Real American Freestyle 8 in Philadelphia on Saturday night, ending a lopsided main event that saw the UFC lightweight contender push the 46-year-old former WEC champion off the mat and over the commentary table.
Tsarukyan won 13-1, as first reported by MMA Fighting, closing the bout with a high-crotch takedown and a throw. The match was moved to the headlining slot hours before the bell after Henry Cejudo withdrew from a scheduled bout with Merab Dvalishvili due to injury, according to MMA Mania.
Tsarukyan dominates from the opening whistle
The size advantage showed immediately. Tsarukyan scored a snap-down in the first period and rolled through three consecutive gut-wrenches to build an 8-0 lead before letting Faber back to his feet. The second period brought the wildest sequence when Tsarukyan shot a single leg and drove Faber clean off the stage, with both men tumbling over the broadcast booth. Tsarukyan picked up a push-out point while Faber was awarded one for the chaos. “RAF, next time you need two mats for me,” Tsarukyan said afterward.
Faber entered the bout having lost his RAF debut to Cejudo via tech fall at RAF 6. The UC Davis product spent most of Saturday trying to keep his feet moving, but Tsarukyan carried too much strength in the tie-ups and walked him around the mat at will in the third period before finishing.
After the bout, Tsarukyan called out Colby Covington, who was cageside. Covington is booked to face Chris Weidman but told the crowd he wants Tsarukyan instead. Tsarukyan then said if he beats Covington, he wants Chael Sonnen next. RAF 9 is scheduled for May 30.
Photo by Frankie Cordoba on Unsplash
Original reporting:
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