Arman Tsarukyan Just Booked Tony Ferguson at RAF 10

I had to read this headline three times to make sure it was real.

Arman Tsarukyan, the #2 ranked lightweight in the UFC, is fighting influencer wrestler Mugzy at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. Then two weeks later on June 13 in St. Louis, he's fighting Tony Ferguson at RAF 10. Tony Ferguson bro. The guy who lost eight straight fights in the UFC. The guy who's 42 years old. The former interim lightweight champion who most people assumed was done competing at any level.

That dude is about to wrestle the best lightweight contender in the world on a Fox Nation stream.

This sport is so wild bro I love it.

Six Events in Six Months

Let me lay out how active Arman has been in RAF because the volume is genuinely insane.

January: Technical fall over Lance Palmer at RAF 5. That was his debut. He made it look easy.

March: Beat Georgio Poullas at RAF 6. Then attacked him after the match and the whole thing went viral. Classic Arman.

April: Beat Poullas AGAIN in the rematch at RAF 7. Then speared Urijah Faber into the crowd at RAF 8 in Philadelphia and won by tech fall. A UFC Hall of Famer. Thrown off the mats and into the commentary team.

May 30: Fights Mugzy at RAF 9 in Dallas.

June 13: Fights Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 in St. Louis.

If both of those happen, that's six RAF events in six months. The #2 ranked lightweight in the UFC will have competed in more wrestling matches than most active wrestlers compete in a full year. And he hasn't fought in the Octagon since submitting Dan Hooker in November.

The UFC won't give him a fight so he's wrestling everybody who'll sign a contract lol.

The Paddy Hypocrisy That Nobody Can Ignore

Okay here's the part that's blowing up on Twitter right now and honestly it's hard to argue with.

When Paddy Pimblett beat Tony Ferguson at UFC Fight Night 224 last year, Arman clowned him for it. He was on social media saying the win didn't mean anything because Tony was washed. Tony was old. Tony was on a losing streak. Beating Tony Ferguson in 2025 didn't prove you were elite, it proved you could beat a guy who'd already lost eight straight.

And now Arman is fighting that same Tony Ferguson.

Fans are calling him "the new Jake Paul of freestyle wrestling" and I mean they're not entirely wrong. His RAF opponents so far have been Lance Palmer, Georgio Poullas twice, Urijah Faber at 45, an influencer wrestler named Mugzy, and now Tony Ferguson at 42. That's not exactly a murderer's row of active competitors.

One fan on Twitter said "This midget is only competing against flyweight YouTubers or washed grandpas."

That's harsh but I do see the point. Arman made fun of Paddy for fighting an old Tony. Now he's fighting an even older Tony in a different sport.

But Here's the Other Side

I need to be fair to Arman here though because there's a real argument that none of this is his fault.

Arman Tsarukyan is on a five fight win streak in the UFC. He submitted Dan Hooker. He beat Beneil Dariush. He beat Charles Oliveira. He beat Mateusz Gamrot. He's done everything you're supposed to do to get a title shot and the UFC has frozen him out.

He claims the UFC wanted him on the White House card against Michael Chandler but then scrapped it. Dana has publicly said he's "not thrilled" with Tsarukyan right now and I get it. But the promotion won't book him for a title fight and he's sitting at #2 in the world with nobody to fight in the Octagon.

So what's the man supposed to do? Sit at home and wait? He's 29 years old. He's in his athletic prime. He needs to stay active, stay sharp, and keep making money while the UFC figures out what to do with him.

RAF gives him all three. Activity, competition, income. The same way it gave Chimaev an income stream while the UFC dragged its feet on the Strickland fight. The same way it's given DC and Jones a platform to keep their rivalry alive. RAF is becoming the holding pen for UFC fighters who can't get booked in the Octagon.

Is fighting Tony Ferguson at 42 a mismatch? Yeah probably. Is it hypocritical given what Arman said about Paddy? A tad bit. Is it better than sitting at home for eight months waiting for the UFC to return his calls? Absolutely.

El Cucuy at 42

Real talk though, the Tony Ferguson angle on this is kind of wild in its own right.

Tony Ferguson lost eight straight fights in the UFC. Which is the longest losing streak in UFC history for a fighter of his caliber. And listen I love Tony bro. He was an absolute monster back in the day and he put on amazing fights. But facts are just facts. The former interim lightweight champion went from being one of the most feared 155ers on the planet to getting finished over and over and over again. He got cut after Michael Chiesa submitted him at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024.

Most people assumed that was it. El Cucuy was done. The D'Arce Chokes. The ankle picks. The Tony time. All of it seemed over.

But Tony couldn't just leave it all behind. So he went to Misfits Boxing. Knocked out Salt Papi in the third round. Beat Warren Spencer by unanimous decision. Won the Misfits middleweight title. At 41 years old. The man refused to retire and found somewhere else to compete.

And now at 42 he's making his RAF wrestling debut against the #2 ranked lightweight in the UFC. People forget that Ferguson was a three time All-State wrestler in high school. Michigan State Champion. NCWA National Champion. A two time All-American. The man has a legitimate wrestling background that goes back decades. This isn't some random celebrity booking. Tony Ferguson can actually wrestle.

Will he be competitive with a 29 year old Arman Tsarukyan who's been doing RAF every six weeks for half a year? Probably not. But the fact that Tony Ferguson is still out here at 42 competing in combat sports, finding new promotions, refusing to go quietly? That's El Cucuy. That's who he's always been. The man doesn't know how to stop.

What This All Means

Here's the bigger picture that I keep coming back to. The UFC's #2 ranked lightweight is about to compete in his sixth wrestling match in six months because the promotion he fights for won't book him. A former interim UFC champion who lost eight straight is making his debut in a wrestling promotion at 42 because the UFC cut him. Both of these guys should theoretically be competing in the Octagon right now and instead they're on Fox Nation.

That's the state of things in 2026. The UFC's biggest stars keep finding other places to compete while the promotion runs cards at the Apex and plans White House events that don't include half the guys fans actually want to see.

Arman will eventually get his title shot. He's too good and too popular for the UFC to freeze him out forever. But until that happens, he's going to keep wrestling everybody RAF puts in front of him. Influencers. Hall of Famers. Legends. Whoever signs the contract.

And Tony Ferguson is going to keep showing up wherever someone will let him compete because that's all he's ever known how to do.

Two fighters who should be in the UFC. Are both on a wrestling card in St. Louis On Fox Nation in June.

This sport man. Its something else.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Arman Tsarukyan vs Tony Ferguson confirmed?

Yes. Ariel Helwani first reported the matchup and RAF officially announced it on May 1, 2026. The fight takes place at RAF 10 on June 13, 2026 at Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. It will be a middleweight wrestling match streamed on Fox Nation.

Is Arman also fighting at RAF 9?

Yes. Tsarukyan is scheduled to fight influencer wrestler Keelon Jimison (known as Mugzy) at RAF 9 on May 30 in Arlington, Texas. If both matches happen, he'll have competed in six RAF events in approximately six months.

What is Tony Ferguson's wrestling background?

Ferguson was a three time All-State wrestler in high school, a Michigan State Champion, an NCWA National Champion, and a two time All-American. Despite being primarily known for his MMA striking and submission game, he has a legitimate wrestling pedigree.

What has Tony Ferguson been doing since leaving the UFC?

Ferguson was released from the UFC after losing to Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024, ending an eight fight losing streak. He then moved to Misfits Boxing, knocked out Salt Papi, and beat Warren Spencer to win the Misfits middleweight title. RAF 10 will be his wrestling debut.

Why isn't Tsarukyan fighting in the UFC?

Tsarukyan is on a five fight UFC win streak and ranked #2 at lightweight. He claims the UFC scrapped a planned bout with Michael Chandler on the White House card. Dana White has publicly said he's "not thrilled" with Tsarukyan. The promotion has not booked him for a fight since his submission win over Dan Hooker in November 2025.

What is Arman Tsarukyan's RAF record?

Tsarukyan is 4-0 in RAF with wins over Lance Palmer (technical fall), Georgio Poullas (twice), and UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber (technical fall). He's competed at RAF 5, 6, 7, and 8 between January and April 2026.