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Arman Tsarukyan will have another major commitment outside the UFC this fall. The Armenian lightweight contender is set to face Dillon Danis in a wrestling match for the inaugural Real American Freestyle middleweight championship at RAF 14 in Las Vegas on October 3. The matchup was announced after Tsarukyan secured his long awaited UFC return against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19.
RAF has confirmed that its Las Vegas event will take place at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau. The promotion announced the venue earlier this year as part of its expansion into one of the biggest combat sports markets in the United States.
The timing makes Tsarukyan’s schedule particularly demanding. He will compete in the UFC in September before returning to the wrestling mat less than a month later.
Tsarukyan continues his unusual RAF run
Tsarukyan has remained remarkably active in RAF despite his limited UFC activity over the past two years.
The UFC lightweight contender signed with Real American Freestyle in January and quickly became one of the promotion’s most recognizable MMA athletes. According to the supplied reports, he has competed in eight RAF wrestling matches, winning seven before suffering his first defeat against former UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington in July.
That loss came at RAF 11, where Covington defeated Tsarukyan by a score of 5 to 2. Tsarukyan previously built momentum in RAF with victories over fighters including Urijah Faber and Tony Ferguson. His wrestling appearances have allowed him to stay active while waiting for his next UFC opportunity.
The Armenian now has another chance to claim a championship.
A new title opportunity awaits in Las Vegas
The Tsarukyan versus Danis RAF 14 match will determine the first RAF middleweight crossover champion.
That gives the bout significance beyond another appearance for Tsarukyan. RAF has increasingly used established MMA names alongside elite wrestlers, creating unusual matchups between athletes from different combat sports backgrounds.
RAF co founder Chad Bronstein previously explained the promotion’s ambition for its Las Vegas debut.
“From day one, the vision was to build a platform big enough for the best wrestlers in the world and the biggest moments in sports.”
Bronstein also described Las Vegas as the ideal location for RAF to present its athletes on a larger stage.
For Tsarukyan, winning the inaugural championship would add another achievement to a wrestling campaign that has already featured several former UFC names.
Dillon Danis searches for his first RAF victory
Danis enters the matchup at RAF 14 from a very different position. The controversial grappler is still looking for his first win in Real American Freestyle after losing both of his previous appearances. He suffered defeats against Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev, with the latter matchup ending in a confrontation that required security to intervene.
His loss to Covington came at RAF 7 in March. Covington won by technical fall with a 14 to 4 score after controlling the match with takedowns and exposure points.
Danis then faced former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev at RAF 10, with the contest ending in another defeat. Despite those results, RAF has continued to give Danis opportunities.
The promotion’s decision to book him against Tsarukyan for its first middleweight crossover championship gives Danis a chance to change his record while becoming the first fighter to hold the title.
Tsarukyan has bigger UFC ambitions
The RAF 14 title fight is important, but Tsarukyan’s immediate priority remains his UFC return.
He is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19. The fight will mark his return to the Octagon after a lengthy absence. His last UFC appearance came in November, when he submitted Dan Hooker.
Tsarukyan had previously been expected to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 311 in January 2025, but he withdrew shortly before the fight because of back spasms.
His upcoming fight with Ruffy could therefore have major implications for the UFC lightweight division. A strong victory could put Tsarukyan back into the title conversation, making his subsequent RAF appearance even more intriguing.
Danis also has another fight before RAF 14
Danis will not simply be waiting for Tsarukyan. Before the RAF 14 title fight, he is scheduled to face Mike Perry in an MMA contest in Florida. That fight will take place just over a month before his meeting with Tsarukyan, according to the reports.
The back to back schedule gives Danis an opportunity to regain momentum in MMA before returning to the wrestling mat.
A busy autumn for Tsarukyan
Tsarukyan’s next few months could become one of the busiest stretches of his career.
He will first return to the UFC against Ruffy, with the lightweight title picture potentially in play. Shortly afterward, he will head back to RAF 14 to challenge Danis for the promotion’s inaugural middleweight crossover championship.
For RAF, the matchup continues its strategy of bringing recognizable MMA fighters into professional wrestling competition. For Tsarukyan, it provides another opportunity to compete for a championship while remaining active outside the UFC.
RAF 14 is scheduled for October 3 at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, with additional matchups expected to be announced before the event.
The result could give Tsarukyan another title to his name, or provide Danis with the breakthrough victory he has been searching for since joining RAF.
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