Tony Ferguson Set for RAF 10 Co-Main Event Against Arman Tsarukyan
Tony Ferguson is set to wrestle Arman Tsarukyan in the co-main event of Real American Freestyle 10 on June 13, 2026, at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. Ferguson called wrestling the combat sport he started in and said it saved his life, putting his return to the mat at the center of a high-profile matchup.
Ferguson And Tsarukyan In St. Louis
The bout puts Ferguson, a former interim Lightweight champion, against an undefeated RAF opponent who has dominated everyone he has faced so far. That pairing turns the co-main event into more than a return date; it is a test of whether Ferguson’s wrestling roots still travel at this level.
Ferguson said he was born in Oxnard, California, and that his family moved to Michigan when he was very little. He also said wrestling came before the other combat sports he wanted to pursue when he was younger, adding, “I wanted to be in boxing, and I wanted to do taekwondo.”
Grand Valley State And The Wrestling Room
His path ran through a brief stop at Central Michigan University before he found his way to Grand Valley State. Ferguson said teammate Dustin Dean called him back into the wrestling room there, and that later he captained the team, worked full-time, attended school full-time and won a national title.
He also said schools such as Stanford and The Citadel showed interest in him, and that he finished second at freestyle nationals in Syracuse. Ferguson said people still have not seen the full extent of his wrestling, adding that there is “zero film” of him wrestling.
Dave Mills In Ferguson's Corner
Ferguson said he paid back a promissory note from Grand Valley State coach Dave Mills in 2015 or 2016, and Mills will be in his corner against Tsarukyan. He described the matchup as one that fits his style when he can wrestle the way he wants, saying, “When it goes into my type of style, I’m a freestyler. It depends on what athlete I’m in front of.”
He went further when talking about that style, saying, “And when I play the game like that, I’m better at chess than Bobby Fischer. You have no idea how fast I am, how strong I am.” RAF has also brought back a new edge for him, and that makes June 13 in St. Louis a real exam of how much of his old wrestling can still show against an unbeaten opponent.
