Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan was born into an Armenian family living in a small town in Georgia, near the Armenian border. Arman's father, Nairi Tsarukyan, is a businessman, engaged in the construction business. Arman is the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. The family moved to Russia when Arman was three years old to pursue better opportunities in life, In his youth, Tsarukyan had multiple sporting interests. He started freestyle wrestling and fared well in the sport, but got interested in ice hockey later and continued playing it for several years. However, when Arman was approaching adulthood, he was forced to stop hockey in order to aid his father working in construction. During his wrestling career, he attained the rank of Master of Sports. In a Q&A on UFC.com, Tsarukyan said he won multiple wrestling and grappling tournaments in amateur competition. == Fighting style ==

Tsarukyan has been described as a pressure-oriented fighter who combines wrestling with close-range striking. The same source wrote that he often works at short range and uses forward pressure to steer opponents toward the fence to set up takedowns, and reported that he does not hold a Brazilian jiu-jitsu belt rank. == Mixed martial arts career ==

Early career Tsarukyan made his professional debut in mixed martial arts in 2015 against Shamil Olokhanov and won by technical knockout in the first round. He lost his next fight against Alexander Belikh by first-round knockout. Arman continued fighting for mixed martial arts promotions in Russia and Asia, winning his next 12 fights with 9 finishes, including a first round submission victory against Belikh to avenge his first loss. He compiled a 13–1 record prior to signing a four-fight contract with the UFC. In July 2018, Tsarukyan was one of the winners of the 2018 Tiger Muay Thai Tryouts in Phuket, earning a place on the professional fight team. Ultimate Fighting Championship Tsarukyan made his UFC debut against future lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, on April 20, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik. The bout featured frequent wrestling exchanges and a high pace. Tsarukyan lost via unanimous decision, and the fight was regarded by some media outlets as one of Makhachev's tougher early-career tests. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus. Tsarukyan faced Olivier Aubin-Mercier on July 27, 2019, at UFC 240 and won the fight via unanimous decision. Tsarukyan was expected to face Davi Ramos on April 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed. The bout was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 172 on July 19, 2020. Tsarukyan was expected to face Nasrat Haqparast on January 24, 2021, at UFC 257. However, on the day of the weigh-ins, Haqparast pulled out of the fight citing an illness. The promotion negotiated a matchup between Tsarukyan and Matt Frevola. Tsarukyan forfeited 20% of his purse after missing weight, which went to Frevola. Tsarukyan won the fight via unanimous decision. Tsarukyan faced Christos Giagos on September 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 192. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award. As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Tsarukyan faced Joel Álvarez on February 26, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 202. He won the bout via ground-and-pound TKO in the second round. The win also earned Tsarukyan his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award. Tsarukyan faced Mateusz Gamrot on June 25, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 38. He lost the closely contested fight via unanimous decision. 15 of 22 MMA media outlets scored the bout in favor of Tsarukyan. Both fighters earned the Fight of the Night award. As the first bout of his new, four-fight contract, Tsarukyan faced Damir Ismagulov on December 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 216. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Tsarukyan was scheduled to face Renato Moicano on April 29, 2023, at UFC on ESPN: Song vs. Simón. However, Moicano withdrew due to an injury and Tsarukyan was pulled from the card as well. Tsarukyan faced Joaquim Silva on June 17, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 47. He won the bout via TKO in the third round. Tsarukyan faced Beneil Dariush on December 2, 2023, in the main event at UFC on ESPN 52. He won the fight in 64 seconds by first-round knockout due to a knee to the head followed by punches. The fight earned him the Performance of the Night award. Tsarukyan faced former UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300. He won the bout by split decision after surviving multiple submission attempts from Oliveira. Tsarukyan was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev in a rematch and for the UFC Lightweight Championship on January 18, 2025, at UFC 311. However, Tsarukyan pulled out one day before the event, citing a back injury sustained while cutting weight, and was replaced by Renato Moicano. Tsarukyan successfully weighed in on June 27, 2025, as the backup for the lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Tsarukyan faced Dan Hooker in the main event on November 22, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 265. He won the fight via an arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award. Title contention and cancelled title bouts In November 2025, after lightweight champion Ilia Topuria announced he would take time away from competition for personal reasons, the UFC booked an interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for UFC 324. White said Tsarukyan would need to work his way back to a title shot and said he did not care about Tsarukyan’s ranking position when discussing the matchmaking decision. The booking drew criticism from fighters and media. Former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said Tsarukyan should have gotten the title shot and questioned the promotion’s matchmaking. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier argued that a matchup between Topuria and Tsarukyan was necessary to settle the division’s top spot. Journalist Ariel Helwani also criticized the decision publicly. Tsarukyan criticized the booking and later alleged the promotion favored Pimblett; Pimblett disputed the claim, while UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell cited Tsarukyan's UFC 311 withdrawal and the Hooker weigh-in incident when explaining the matchmaking decision. == Grappling career ==

As a grappler, Tsarukyan competes in ACBJJ , where he is the inaugural holder of the ACBJJ "All Star" title. Tsarukyan won the expert middleweight division of NAGA Los Angeles on October 1, 2023, submitting all three of his opponents. Tsarukyan defeated Makkasharip Zaynukov via unanimous decision at Pit Submission Series 12, held as part of Karate Combat 54, on May 2, 2025. Tsarukyan faced Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in the main event of ADXC 10 on May 31, 2025. He won the match by submission with a rear-naked choke. Tsarukyan faced former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at ACBJJ 18 in Moscow on , and won after putting Henderson unconscious with an arm-triangle choke; the official result was ruled a technical decision. Tsarukyan defeated Mehdi Baydulaev via submission with a rear-naked choke in the final minute of their main event grappling match at ACBJJ 20 on December 17, 2025, in Moscow. He won the "All-Star Title" in this no-gi jiu-jitsu contest, where Baydulaev served as a last-minute replacement. Tsarukyan faced Sharabutdin Magomedov in a submission-only grappling match at Hype Fighting Championship on December 30, 2025, in Yerevan, Armenia. The match ended in a draw and neither man won the title. Tsarukyan was scheduled to rematch Georgio Poullas in a submission-only grappling match at Hype Brazil on in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Poullas later withdrew from the bout, and it was removed from the event lineup. Muhammad Mokaev then stepped in to replace Poullas on two days’ notice. Arman won the bout via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 7:46 of the first round after rendering Mokaev unconscious. == Freestyle wrestling career ==

Tsarukyan made his freestyle wrestling debut against four-time NCAA Division I All-American Lance Palmer at RAF 05 on at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. He won the bout via technical fall (10–0) in the first period. Tsarukyan faced another former NCAA Division I wrestler in Georgio Poullas at RAF 06 on February 28, 2026, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, United States. He won the match by points (5–3). Tsarukyan rematched Poullas at RAF 07 on March 28, 2026 in the main event and won by decision (9–3). Tsarukyan defeated two-time NCAA Division I National qualifier Urijah Faber at RAF 08 on April 18, 2026 in the main event and won by technical fall (13–1). The bout was promoted to the main event after Henry Cejudo withdrew from the card due to an injury. Tsarukyan is scheduled to face Keelon Jimison at RAF 09 on May 30, 2026. He is also scheduled to face Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13, 2026. == Personal life ==

Tsarukyan is the middle child in his family, with an older brother, Artur Tsarukyan, and a younger sister. His father, Nairi Tsarukyan, is a businessman in the construction industry. Raised in an Armenian household, Tsarukyan frequently carries the Armenian flag into the octagon to bring international attention to his heritage. He has often emphasized a strong identification with his roots, noting that he is motivated by the support of Armenians worldwide. Outside of his cultural heritage, Tsarukyan has discussed his training preferences and lifestyle choices; in an interview he stated that he prefers training in the United States over Russia, citing the environment and conditions as more conducive to focused preparation. Tsarukyan is married to Milena. In early 2020, he became a father for the first time, naming his daughter after his mother; a second daughter was born in 2022. == Public image ==

Altercation with Bobby Green In November 2023, during fight week for UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan (UFC Austin), Tsarukyan was involved in an altercation with fellow lightweight Bobby Green at the event's host hotel in Austin, Texas. Green alleged that Tsarukyan and members of his team confronted him in the hotel lobby and that he struck one of Tsarukyan's associates during the incident. Two days later, Tsarukyan released footage from the confrontation showing him approaching Green and briefly grabbing him by the throat before they were separated. Altercation at UFC 300 Before fighting Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, Tsarukyan was involved in an altercation with a fan while walking to the octagon. Dana White said after UFC 300 that he was concerned the company would face legal action from the involved fan. However, Tsarukyan and the UFC did not face any legal action. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) met with Tsarukyan on April 30, 2024, to discuss the incident. The commission decided to withhold 20% of his fight purse ($31,600 of $158,000). On June 25, 2024, it was announced that Tsarukyan was fined $25,000 and banned from competition for nine months, making him ineligible to compete until January 12, 2025, unless he completed an NSAC-approved anti-bullying public service announcement, which would reduce the suspension to six months, making him eligible to compete on October 12, 2024. Headbutt incident with Dan Hooker At the ceremonial weigh-ins on November 21, 2025, for UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker in Doha, Qatar, Tsarukyan headbutted opponent Dan Hooker during their staredown; UFC staff, including matchmaker Mick Maynard, intervened and separated the two. ESPN reported Hooker was not injured, and the fighters competed the next day as scheduled, while Hooker stated that the headbutt caused a broken nose. Tsarukyan later said he reacted because he believed Hooker had tried to intimidate him. In January 2026, UFC president Dana White said the headbutt "a hundred per cent" factored into the promotion's decision to pass over Tsarukyan for an interim lightweight title fight. Post-fight brawl after RAF 06 Following Tsarukyan's win over Georgio Poullas at RAF 06: Cejudo vs. Faber, a post-match altercation between the two escalated into a brawl involving members of both teams. Footage of the incident shows Tsarukyan striking Poullas after the match before additional individuals entered and the situation developed into a wider melee. Days later, the pair were booked for a submission-only grappling rematch at Hype Brazil on in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but Poullas withdrew and the bout was removed from the event lineup. Airline incident On April 16, 2026, Tsarukyan was involved in an incident on an American Airlines flight he was boarding from Los Angeles to Philadelphia for RAF 08: Tsarukyan vs. Faber where he was escorted off the aircraft after refusing to take his assigned seat. The airline issued a public statement citing non‑compliance with crew instructions, and video of the incident circulated widely online. Faber called him a "spoiled kid" afterward and jokingly stated that the takedown "realigned" his back. However, Tsarukyan retracted this statement as a joke seconds later. == Championships and accomplishments ==

Mixed martial arts • Ultimate Fighting Championship • Fight of the Night (two times) • MMA Fighting • 2022 Third Team MMA All-Star Submission grappling • Absolute Championship Akhmat • ACBJJ "All-Star Title" (one time) == Mixed martial arts record ==

== Freestyle wrestling record ==

== Submission grappling record ==