Real American FreestyleUrijah Faber
Middleweight · RAF · UFC · WEC
Overview
Urijah Faber is in the UFC Hall of Fame, founded the gym that produced two UFC champions, and at 46 he took a RAF main event and got thrown off the stage.
He was the WEC featherweight champion with five successful defences, held King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge belts, and went into the Hall of Fame's modern wing in 2017 as the first bantamweight or featherweight inducted.
His RAF run is 0-2. Henry Cejudo shut him out 11-0 at RAF 06 in Tempe, then Arman Tsarukyan beat him 13-1 at RAF 08 in Philadelphia, in a match elevated to the main event when Cejudo withdrew injured.
That RAF 08 match is the one people remember, and not for the score.
At RAF 08, Tsarukyan hit a single leg and drove Faber completely off the raised stage onto the floor beside the announce desk. Each wrestler was awarded a point for it and neither was hurt. Faber's response on Instagram: he has all the makings of a champion except self control.
RAF Record
0-2 across 2 completed matches, every one linked to its full card. A tech fall means a ten point lead ended it early, freestyle wrestling’s version of a squash.
| Date | Event | Opponent | Result | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2026 | RAF 08 Main event | Arman Tsarukyan | L | tech fall 1-13 |
| Feb 28, 2026 | RAF 06 Main event, RAF debut | Henry Cejudo | L | tech fall 0-11 |
2 matches on record, 0 announced
Background
He wrestled at UC Davis from 2000 to 2003, qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships in 2001 and 2002, and still holds the programme's all time records for career wins with 92 and dual wins with 42. In 2002 at 133 pounds he went 31-10 and lost in the fourth round of wrestlebacks, one match short of becoming UC Davis's first ever wrestling All American.
Rivalries
Arman Tsarukyan
The single leg that carried Faber off the stage and onto the floor. Faber called him a spoiled kid for life and said he had every making of a champion except self control.
Henry Cejudo
Cejudo shut him out 11-0 in Arizona, leading 3-0 after one period and 7-0 after two, then called out Merab Dvalishvili.
Dominick Cruz
Faber won the first meeting and lost the next two, the defining trilogy of the lighter weight classes in that era.
FAQ
Why is Urijah Faber in RAF?
He has said the wrestling community competed for years without pay and that RAF is a real professional route for wrestlers to make a career.
What is his RAF record?
0-2, losing to Henry Cejudo at RAF 06 and Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 08.
What happened at RAF 08?
Tsarukyan drove him off the raised stage onto the floor on a single leg. Both men were awarded a point and neither was injured.
Is he a UFC Hall of Famer?
Yes, class of 2017, modern wing, the first fighter from the bantamweight or featherweight divisions inducted.