Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber via Tech Fall (13-1) in Round 3 at RAF 8, held on April 18, 2026. The event took place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The main event was originally scheduled to feature Henry Cejudo against Merab Dvalishvili. However, Cejudo withdrew due to an injury shortly before the fight. This left a significant gap in the card.
Khamzat Chimaev signed with Real American Freestyle ahead of the event. He boasts an impressive professional MMA record of 15-0. His standout wrestling base has allowed him to physically dominate opponents en route to this record.
Kyle Snyder defended his Light Heavyweight title against Rizabek Aitmukhan during the same event. The match occurred in the 215 lbs weight class. RAF 8 aired exclusively on FOX Nation and began at 8:00 PM ET.
Tsarukyan has become the face of RAF over recent months, competing in the past three events. After his victory, he remarked, “RAF, next time you need two mats for me.” His performance against Faber further solidified his reputation.
In addition to Tsarukyan’s match, other notable bouts included Zahid Valencia vs. Aeoden Sinclair at 190 lbs and Anthony Cassioppi vs. Shamil Sharipov at 285 lbs. Helen Maroulis faced Alexis Janiak at 130 lbs, while Lucas Byrd battled Darian Cruz at 135 lbs.
Looking ahead, RAF has scheduled RAF 09 for May 30th in Dallas and RAF 10 for June 13th in St. Louis. These upcoming events promise to maintain the momentum generated by RAF 8.
Details remain unconfirmed about further changes to future matchups or potential injuries affecting fighters. However, excitement continues to build within the MMA community as fans anticipate what comes next.
