Arman Tsarukyan is finding plenty of success outside of the UFC Octagon.
On Friday night, Tsarukyan stepped onto the mats for his third grappling bout of the year, competing in the main event of Absolute Championship Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ) 18 inside the Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, where he faced former UFC lightweight king Benson Henderson.
"Ahalkalakets" went straight to work looking for chokes against Henderson, who managed to hold them off until the closing moments. But persistence paid off, the 28-year-old Armenian locked in a sharp arm-triangle choke, slid to the side, and cranked it tighter with every second.
The move was executed with precision, and before long, “Smooth” had gone limp. The referee stepped in after checking his arm, while a visibly dazed Henderson was helped back to his feet by Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan has continued his grappling streak this year, first securing a unanimous decision victory over Makkasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 in early May, followed by a slick submission win against Patricky Pitbull at ADXC 10 later that same month.
When Was Arman Tsarukyan’s Last UFC Fight?
Arman Tsarukyan last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he earned a hard-fought split decision victory over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
That victory earned “Ahalkalakets” his first UFC 155-pound title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. Unfortunately, a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from the fight during fight week.
Tsarukyan is riding a four-fight winning streak, with his last defeat coming in June 2022 when he fell via unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 57. He holds a 9-2 record in the UFC, highlighted by knockout victories over Beneil Dariush and Joel Álvarez.
