Arman Tsarukyan shut out Dillon Danis on October 23 in Las Vegas to win the first middleweight crossover title in Real American Freestyle history. Then, with the microphone in his hand, the UFC lightweight contender called out Georges St-Pierre for a match on the wrestling mat.
A Shutout and a First Title for Tsarukyan
Real American Freestyle is a wrestling league launched in late April 2025 by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, built around men’s and women’s freestyle wrestling weight classes and open to fighters crossing over from MMA. Bouts are held on a mat rather than in a cage, with no striking allowed and scoring based on freestyle wrestling technique. Tsarukyan defeated Danis 10-0 by first-period technical fall in the main event of RAF 14, held October 23 at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, to win the first-ever RAF Middleweight Crossover Championship. Tsarukyan, a regular name in the UFC lightweight rankings, carries a 24-3 mixed martial arts record and improved to 8-1 in professional wrestling. Danis, who moved from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to boxing before trying this crossover format, remains winless through three RAF appearances.
Bad Blood Before the Opening Whistle
The animosity surfaced days earlier, at the October 22 press conference. Danis showed up wearing a shirt mocking Khamzat Chimaev, Tsarukyan’s close friend and training partner, and threw in an insult aimed at him. Tsarukyan rushed him, Chimaev charged in from the front row, and the scene turned into a scrum before security stepped in. On the mat, Tsarukyan slapped Danis in the opening seconds, drawing a referee warning, then took control with step-out points, takedowns and gut wrenches. Danis attempted a jiu-jitsu style kneebar without success. After the final whistle, Tsarukyan stomped on Danis’s chest as he tried to get up, triggering another confrontation and bringing security back onto the mat. Danis offered a handshake afterward, which Tsarukyan turned down, telling him it would be over “if they fought together” before inviting him to come support him in Abu Dhabi.
The Callout: “I Want to Collect All the Big Names”
Speaking to media after the win, Tsarukyan turned his attention to a far more decorated name. “Maybe they can bring in GSP, I would like to wrestle him,” he said, in quotes carried by Sherdog. He added that his preference runs toward established names rather than lesser-known opponents: “I want to collect all the big names, all the best fighters.” Tsarukyan also named former Olympic wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs as a potential opponent, on the condition Burroughs first climbs back to the top of the RAF rankings. RAF has not confirmed any talks or agreement involving St-Pierre.
Why St-Pierre Still Carries Weight
St-Pierre retired from mixed martial arts in February 2019 with a 26-2 UFC record and nine consecutive welterweight title defenses, still a promotion record. His final fight came in November 2017, when he submitted Michael Bisping to win the middleweight title and become a two-division champion. Born in Saint-Isidore, Quebec, and based in Montreal during his career, St-Pierre wrestled competitively before moving into mixed martial arts, which keeps his name in circulation whenever a wrestling crossover matchup comes up. The UFC inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2020. His popularity stretches well past Quebec and runs through French-speaking MMA audiences in France, Belgium and Switzerland.
What Comes Next, on the Mat and in the Cage
Real American Freestyle returns November 14 in Abu Dhabi, where Tsarukyan is set to defend his new middleweight crossover title. The league has not said whether the chest stomp will draw any discipline, and history suggests it might not: RAF chief Eric Bischoff said he was disappointed after Tsarukyan punched Georgio Poullas at RAF 6 in February, but no official punishment followed. In the UFC cage, the lightweight picture remains unsettled: champion Islam Makhachev is not expected to defend his belt until the second quarter of 2027, leaving Tsarukyan and the rest of the division waiting on the promotion’s next move at 155 pounds. By stacking crossover wins and headline-grabbing callouts outside the cage, Tsarukyan is keeping his name in the conversation while his case for a lightweight title shot keeps building. Whether St-Pierre or Burroughs ever steps onto a mat opposite him remains an open question, but RAF has shown in its short history that it is willing to chase exactly these kinds of crossover matchups to keep fans talking.
