Tsarukyan dismantles Ferguson 10-0 at RAF 10 to set up Covington showdown

Arman Tsarukyan extended his unbeaten wrestling record with a clinical 10-0 technical fall victory over Tony Ferguson in the RAF 10 co-main event, sealing the win with two devastating body-lock slams that left no doubt about the outcome.

Tsarukyan wasted little time imposing himself on the mat. After snuffing out an early inside trip attempt from Ferguson, he secured a takedown and immediately locked in a body lock, hoisting Ferguson into the air before crashing him down for four points. Ferguson attempted a single-leg takedown in the second period, but Tsarukyan fought it off with ease before returning to the same body-lock attack, lifting and slamming Ferguson again to reach the 10-0 threshold and trigger the technical fall.

Speaking to the crowd after the match, Tsarukyan made clear he is only looking forward. “Feeling great. Thank you for coming. Thank you for the support. Thank you to Tony Ferguson,” he said, before turning his attention to Colby Covington, who he faces in the RAF 12 main event on July 18 in Milwaukee.

“It’s going to be easier than Tony Ferguson,” Tsarukyan said of Covington. “This is the easiest money. I’m going to do 10-0 in the first round. Be in shape, after the match, no excuses.”

Covington, who holds a 2-0 record in RAF with wins over Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman, was unmoved by the challenge. “No more cupcake matchups,” he said. “I’m going to break him on this mat.”

The July 18 bout in Milwaukee shapes up as the sternest test of Tsarukyan’s wrestling credentials to date, with Covington — a former All-American — bringing a pedigree on the mat that neither Ferguson nor Tsarukyan’s previous RAF opponents could match.