Arman Tsarukyan recently returned to competition after a year-long absence—but not inside the UFC Octagon.
On Friday night, Tsarukyan stepped into the grappling pit for a 175-pound showdown with Dagestani wrestler Makasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 in Dubai. "Ahalkalakets" opened aggressively with a single-leg attempt in the corner, but Zaynukov defended well.
The rest of the bout featured limited grappling success from both fighters, with neither securing a clear takedown across two closely contested five-minute rounds. However, the UFC lightweight contender’s activity and control earned him a unanimous decision from all three judges, making a third round unnecessary.
In his post-fight interview, Tsarukyan reflected on his performance and explained his motivation for entering the grappling match.
It feels great," Arman Tsarukyan said. "I haven't fought in one year, so that's why I came and wrestled today. My opponent is a very tough guy. No one knows him a lot because he fights in Russia, but he's from a very strong team. He didn't want to wrestle too much. I like offense, and he was trying to escape from me for 10 minutes.
Tsarukyan's last UFC appearance came at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he secured a hard-fought split decision victory over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in a title eliminator. "Ahalkalakets" was then slated to challenge reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January, but was forced to withdraw just hours before weigh-ins due to health issues.
The 28-year-old Armenian has expressed his desire to reschedule a rematch with Makhachev as his next fight.
Can’t wait for next one. I need one more guy from Khabib’s team [Makhachev]. Let’s do this again.
Tsarukyan first faced Makhachev at a UFC Fight Night event in April 2019, where he delivered a gritty performance in his Octagon debut. Despite his resilience, he was ultimately outclassed and lost to the Dagestani by unanimous decision.
Currently riding a four-fight win streak, Tsarukyan holds a 9-2 record in the UFC, with four of those victories coming by knockout.