Arman Tsarukyan Faces Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 in St. Louis
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 enters the bout as a former UFC interim Lightweight champion, while Tsarukyan has been unbeaten in RAF.
Ferguson and Tsarukyan at RAF 10
The matchup puts Ferguson back into wrestling on a major RAF card, with Dave Mills set to be in his corner against Tsarukyan. Ferguson said he expects to use freestyle wrestling to his advantage, and he described the style as the kind of game where he can control the matchup on his terms.
Ferguson also said Tsarukyan is undefeated in RAF, which gives the co-main event a clear edge in experience versus momentum. That contrast is the draw here: a former UFC champion returning to the mat against a fighter who has not been beaten inside the promotion.
Oxnard to Grand Valley State
Ferguson traced that path back to Oxnard, California, where he said he was born before his stepdad drove the family to Michigan when he was very little. He said wrestling became the sport that saved his life after he first wanted boxing and taekwondo.
He also said there is “zero film” of him wrestling, but that he won freestyle state championships and placed second at freestyle nationals in Syracuse. Schools such as Stanford and The Citadel showed interest, and he briefly attended Central Michigan University before finding his way to Grand Valley State.
Dave Mills in Ferguson's Corner
At Grand Valley State, Ferguson said teammate Dustin Dean called him back into the wrestling room. He later captained the team, worked full-time, attended school full-time and won a national title.
Ferguson said he paid back a promissory note to coach Dave Mills in full in 2015 or 2016, and Mills will now be in his corner against Tsarukyan. Ferguson said when wrestling fits his style, he becomes a freestyler and can play the game in a way that makes him feel sharper than Bobby Fischer.
The June 13 card gives Ferguson a chance to turn that long path into a high-profile result in St. Louis, with a wrestler he views as an unbeaten test standing across from him. He said RAF lit up a new fire in him, and that he has the speed and strength to back it up.
