Raf Wrestling: Cejudo shuts out Faber, sparks callout that sets up Philly showdown

Henry Cejudo returned to the mat with a shutout win over Urijah Faber at RAF 6 in Tempe, and the result ended with a public challenge that booked a high-profile rematch for Philadelphia — a night that left fans talking about raf wrestling and a separate mass brawl after the co-main event.

At Mullet Arena in Tempe, Ariz., Cejudo, the former UFC two-division champion and 2009 Olympic gold medalist, finished Urijah Faber by technical fall and then called out Merab Dvalishvili, who accepted; RAF 8 has been scheduled for April 18 in Philadelphia and Cejudo has signed a three-match deal with the promotion.

How the main event unfolded

Cejudo used repeated ankle‑pick takedowns to put Faber on the mat throughout the match, opening the scoring with a takedown late in the opening period to go up 5-0 going into the second, then adding takedowns to lead 7-0 into the final period and finishing with another two‑point takedown to reach an 11-0 technical fall, per the match chronology that closed the bout. Faber, 46 and seven years older than Cejudo, displayed solid mat defense but could not generate offense; he retired from the UFC in 2019 and has won several grappling matches since.

Raf Wrestling co-main left the crowd in uproar

The co-main featured Arman Tsarukyan against Georgio Poullas (also spelled Giorgio Poullas in separate listings). Tsarukyan was credited with a 5-3 victory, and one account noted that Arman Tsarukyan sparked a mass brawl after his win.

Complete RAF 6 results reported at Mullet Arena

Event coverage from Tempe listed a broad slate of winners across weight classes and match types; results published include:

• Henry Cejudo def. Urijah Faber — listed as a 10-0 win in one feed and as an 11-0 technical fall in another
• Arman Tsarukyan def. Georgio/Giorgio Poullas, 5-3
• Aljamain Sterling def. Benson Henderson Fall, 3rd Period (one listing shows Sterling 12-2)
• David Carr def. Bubba Jenkins Tech Fall (13-2), 2nd Period (one feed notes Carr 13-2 and defending championships)
• Givi Matcharashvili def. Stephen Buchanan Criteria (3-3) (other listing shows Givi 3-3 +/-)
• Lucia Guzman def. Everest Leydecker Points (10-3) (another listing shows Jami Guzman 10-3)
• Tajmuraz Salkazanov def. Keegan O’Toole Points (9-0)
• Evan Wick def. Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov Tech Fall (13-2), 3rd Period (one listing shows Wick 13-3)
• Zahid Valencia def. Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie Tech Fall (10-0), 1st Period
• Jordan Oliver def. Beau Bartlett Points (5-3)
• Keelon Jimison def. Clay Guida Tech Fall (13-3), 2nd Period (another listing shows Clay Guida vs. Mugzy, Mugzy win 13-3)
• Andrew Alirez def. Bryce Meredith Tech Fall (13-2), 2nd Period (one listing shows 13-3)

Broadcast, timing and tournament notes

The RAF 06 freestyle wrestling tournament took place in Tempe on March 1 and the show started at 9: 00 p. m. local time, with an official broadcast noted as available on the Fox Nation platform; separate time conversions listed the start as 6: 00 a. m. in Yerevan and 5: 00 a. m. in Moscow.

After the win: callouts and bookings

After his shutout, Cejudo called out Merab Dvalishvili; Dvalishvili walked onto the stage, smiled and accepted the challenge, saying he was ready for the match. Cejudo has been officially booked against Dvalishvili for the RAF 8 main event on April 18 in Philadelphia, and RAF 8 will mark the promotion’s first event in that city.

One earlier event note: David Carr had previously blanked Belal Muhammad with a 10-0 technical fall at RAF 4, a result that was included in the event roundup for historical context.

The promotion’s next confirmed milestone is RAF 8 on April 18 in Philadelphia, featuring Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili on the main card.