Arman Tsarukyan to Compete at RAF 05 Against Lance Palmer

Armenian UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan will take part in a freestyle wrestling match against former PFL fighter Lance Palmer. The bout will take place on January 10 in the state of Florida as part of the RAF 05 (Real American Wrestling) event.

Lance Palmer boasts an impressive résumé in both MMA and wrestling. His mixed martial arts record stands at 28 wins and 3 losses, including a 12–3 run in the PFL. Palmer is a four-time NCAA Division I All-American freestyle wrestling champion and also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The RAF league (Real American Wrestling) has relatively recently begun hosting events in the United States, offering a format stylistically similar to the UFC but with a strong emphasis on freestyle wrestling. Within the promotion, Olympic wrestlers and MMA stars have the opportunity to compete specifically in wrestling matches. RAF features its own championship belts across multiple weight classes, with Yoel Romero currently holding the light heavyweight title.

It is worth noting that this will not be Tsarukyan’s first appearance in alternative combat disciplines. On December 30, he will compete in a grappling match against Shara Bullet in Yerevan at the Hype Fighting event, and on December 17 in Moscow, Tsarukyan defeated Mehdu Baydulaev in a jiu-jitsu bout.