The UFC might not want Arman Tsarukyan to fight anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean the Armenian lightweight is sitting idly by. Since being snubbed for a title shot, the 29-year-old has kept himself busy with fights at Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF). And he even has a fight coming up under the promotion’s banner.
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The UFC No. 2 lightweight contender is set to face influencer wrestler Mugzy at RAF 9 on Saturday, May 30, at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. However, according to a recent announcement from the RAF, the American Top Team standout has a new opponent already ready should things go according to plan at the end of this month.
“Arman Tsarukyan has ANOTHER RAF booking,” Ariel Helwani reported on Instagram while sharing a poster for the fight. “He’s already scheduled to compete on May 30, and now he’s just booked a June 13 matchup against Tony Ferguson. Done deal. St. Louis.”
Tony Ferguson, of course, parted ways with the UFC in January 2025 after an eight-fight skid in the promotion. According to reports, Ferguson left the promotion on amicable terms and hasn’t fought in an MMA setting since. He initially signed with Global Fight League (GFL) to face Dillon Danis, but the fight never came to fruition.
🚨 BREAKING: Arman Tsarukyan will face Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13 He's already scheduled to compete at RAF 09 on May 30 against Mugzy (via @RAFWrestlingUSA)
So, he turned to boxing and fought under the Misfits Boxing banner twice, collecting two wins in the promotion. Despite his performance in MMA, Ferguson previously claimed he is not retired from the sport and would like to compete in the future. In the meantime, Tsarukyan has already fought four times under the RAF.
He has collected wins over Lance Palmer, Georgio Poullas (x2), and Urijah Faber ahead of his upcoming fight against Mugzy, aka Keelon Jimison. However, after the Tony Ferguson fight was announced, and people found out about it through a post from Championship Rounds, Arman Tsarukyan appears to have become public enemy number one.
Paddy Pimblett used to expose hypocrisy from Arman Tsarukyan
Upon learning the news, one user branded the Armenian fighter the new Jake Paul of freestyle wrestling. The user posted: “This guy is the new Jake Paul of freestyle wrestling lmao.” This is, of course, in reference to the massive age gap between Tsarukyan and Ferguson. While Arman is 29, Ferguson is 42—that’s a 13-year age gap.
Another user attempted to expose Tsarukyan’s hypocrisy. “Bum was laughing at Paddy [Pimblett] for beating Tony in MMA, btw 🤣🤣,” the user commented. After Paddy Pimblett was given the opportunity to fight Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title, Arman and Paddy started a back-and-forth. That’s when Arman downplayed Pimblett’s win over Tony Ferguson.
Meanwhile, someone else couldn’t make sense of why Ferguson was booked for a wrestling match. “Not only that, Tony isn’t even a wrestler,” the user wrote. However, ‘El Cucuy’ has a strong wrestling background. He was a three-time All-State wrestler, Michigan High School State Champion, NCWA National Champion, and more.
The next fan predicted what would have happened if Tsarukyan fought Ferguson in the latter’s prime. “Tony would’ve killed him in MMA in his prime,” the fan claimed. Before his losing streak began, Ferguson was on a 12-fight winning streak, where he collected wins over legends like Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, and more.
To make matters even worse for Arman Tsarukyan, this user held up a mirror to the Armenian fighter. “This midget is only competing against flyweight YouTubers or washed grandpas. How about he signs the contract to fight his daddy?” asked the user. Arman Tsarukyan was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev early last year, but pulled out at the last moment, claiming a back injury. Since then, he claims he wants to face Ilia Topuria for the title, but hasn’t been granted the opportunity.
It seems that any momentum Arman Tsarukyan may have built with fans in recent days has now been completely erased following the announcement of his fight against Tony Ferguson. But do you agree with these fans?
