Arman Tsarukyan to wrestle Dillon Danis in RAF 14 main event

          • Brett OkamotoAug 10, 2026, 03:50 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Arman Tsarukyan is gearing up for a massive fall, as he is now set to wrestle Dillon Danis in the main event of RAF 14 in October.

          Tsarukyan will face Danis for RAF wrestling's inaugural crossover middleweight championship on Oct. 13 at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Officials announced the matchup Monday. The news comes less than one week after the UFC announced Tsarukyan (23-3) will face Mauricio Ruffy (14-2) at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.

          Tsarukyan is likely one win away from vying for the UFC's 155-pound lightweight championship. He was supposed to challenge then-champion Islam Makhachev for the title in January 2025 but was forced out at the last minute due to back spasms. He has just one UFC appearance in the last two years but has stayed busy with eight RAF appearances.

          In his most recent RAF appearance, Tsarukyan dropped a decision to former UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington. He will face a polarizing figure in Danis, who is coming off RAF losses to former UFC middleweight champion and Tsarukyan teammate Khamzat Chimaev and Covington.