Tag: arman tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan Reveals He’s Accepted A Fight Against “Fisher” Gillespie

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed that he’s been offered a fight against wrestling ace Gregor Gillespie for early 2022. Tsarukyan took to Instagram to announce the potential matchup. After stating he’s accepted the bout, the Armenian-Russian called upon his fans to help convince Gillespie to follow suit. “UFC has offered me a fight with […]

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UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed that he’s been offered a fight against wrestling ace Gregor Gillespie for early 2022.

Tsarukyan took to Instagram to announce the potential matchup. After stating he’s accepted the bout, the Armenian-Russian called upon his fans to help convince Gillespie to follow suit.

“UFC has offered me a fight with Gillespie early next year. I said yes But Fisher hasn’t answered yet ! Guys help him make up his mind faster.”

Tsarukyan [17-2] was last in action at UFC Vegas 37 in September. Against the unranked Christos Giagos, the 25-year-old secured his first finish in the promotion, something matchmaker Sean Shelby had suggested he needed to do in order to progress to the next level. With a first-round TKO victory over “The Spartan,” Tsarukyan extended his win streak, which features unanimous decision wins over Matt Frevola, Davi Ramos, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier, to four.

The Georgian-born lightweight’s only defeat in the UFC, and sole loss in his last 17 MMA fights, came against top-five contender Islam Makhachev in his 2019 debut. The Dagestani is set to face Tsarukyan’s recent foe Dan Hooker at UFC 267 this month. Given their back-and-forths on social media and in interviews, many had expected Hooker and Tsarukyan to meet next following their respective successes last month.

With the New Zealander’s willingness to fight Makhachev on short notice, Tsarukyan has had to look elsewhere for his next opponent. After showing his improved striking game last time out, the surging contender may need to rely on his grappling if his current targeted clash comes to fruition.

As well as Hooker, Tsarukyan also suggested he was happy to face former interim champ Tony Ferguson in December. Nevertheless, he appears to have jumped at the chance to fight #10-ranked Gillespie [14-1] in 2022 instead. “The Gift” returned to action after nearly two years away from the cage at UFC Vegas 26 in May. Against top-15 Brazilian Carlos Diego Ferreira in what was awarded the Fight of the Night honors, the 34-year-old found his way back to the win column with a second-round TKO.

In his prior bout, Gillespie fell to the first loss of his career in brutal fashion. Against Kevin Lee at UFC 244, the elite wrestler was knocked out by a vicious head kick. Before that, the New York-born lightweight had racked up an unblemished 13-0 record that included six UFC wins over Yancy Medeiros, Vinc Pichel, Jordan Rinaldi, Jason Gonzalez, Andrew Holbrook, and Glaico França.

Given that Gillespie sits three spots above Tsarukyan, and is currently occupying the final spot in the 155-pound top 10, it’s no surprise that the 25-year-old is keen to see the matchup finalized. A victory for either man would likely secure them a top name next time out.

Who do you think will have their hand raised if this fight comes to fruition, Arman Tsarukyan or Gregor Gillespie?

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Arman Tsarukyan Targets Hooker Or Ferguson For December Fight

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed he’s targeting a December return to the Octagon against either Dan Hooker or Tony Ferguson. Tsarukyan was in action earlier this month at UFC Vegas 37. On the main card, he recorded his first UFC finish against Christos Giagos. The #13-ranked 155-pound contender previously racked up unanimous decision victories […]

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UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed he’s targeting a December return to the Octagon against either Dan Hooker or Tony Ferguson.

Tsarukyan was in action earlier this month at UFC Vegas 37. On the main card, he recorded his first UFC finish against Christos Giagos. The #13-ranked 155-pound contender previously racked up unanimous decision victories over Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Davi Ramos, and Matt Frevola.

Having been challenged to record his first stoppage in the promotion by matchmaker Sean Shelby, Tsarukyan delivered in his last outing against “The Spartan.” After just over two minutes of the opening round, the 24-year-old finished Giagos via a TKO. With four consecutive wins since his only UFC blemish against Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan is looking to meet a big name inside the Octagon next.

That name could well be Dan Hooker. The pair have developed quite the rivalry since the New Zealander’s quest to find an opponent for UFC 266 began. After Hooker’s clash with Nasrat Haqparast was announced, the Armenian-Russian accused “The Hangman” of ducking him in an interview with MMA News. After Hooker responded by branding him a “dumbass,” the surging lightweight revealed his desire to “kill” the #8-ranked Kiwi.

Now, following his recent victory, Tsarukyan has once again addressed his feud with Hooker in an interview with MMA News’ own James Lynch. The Georgian-born fighter first revealed what his rival had said to him in an effort to secure him as an opponent should Haqparast have been forced to pull out of UFC 266.

“He texted something like, ‘If you have balls, you gonna fight with me now.’ But he knows I had an (injury), I got injured after this fight, and I broke my ribs. That’s why he started speaking. But if he didn’t know about my injury, for sure he wouldn’t (say that).”

Speaking ahead of UFC 266, Tsarukyan added that he’d like to meet Hooker in December if he was to emerge victorious at the recent pay-per-view. Acknowledging the hype the matchup would get, Tsarukyan described Hooker as a “tough” challenge.

“I think Hooker gonna win, I hope, because I want to fight with him in December. I think he can finish Nasrat and then we gonna have fight with each other. It will be very interesting match. He’s a tough opponent, and I’m tough, too. And we had a conversation (with) each other, and I think UFC can do this part. And a lot of people know about me and him, and everyone wants to see this fight.”

After “The Hangman” returned to winning ways on Saturday with an impressive prelim performance, it seems likely we could be seeing that fight could go down in the coming months. However, Tsarukyan isn’t limiting himself to one option. He told MMA News that he’d be open to facing former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson as well.

“Doesn’t matter especially, but I want to fight with Tony Ferguson (in December). He’s a big name, too, and he doesn’t have fight now. And yeah, why not. I think we can do this fight. And it will be very interesting. I already said about he’s older guy, I’m youngest guy, and it will be great match. And we’ll see new performance with old school.”

While a meeting in the cage with Hooker or Ferguson would certainly be preferable, Tsarukyan also said he’d be willing to face either Gregor Gillespie or Diego Ferreira.

Catch our exclusive interview with Arman Tsarukyan following his UFC Vegas 37 win below:

Who would you like to see Arman Tsarukyan face next?

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Dan Hooker Doesn’t Bite On Arman Tsarukyan’s Latest Callout

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has responded dismissively to Arman Tsarukyan’s latest callout, which came after the 24-year-old’s victory at UFC Vegas 37. After a constant back-and-forth with Hooker leading up to their respective fights this month, Tsarukyan was the first of the two to be in action. On last weekend’s main card, the surging lightweight […]

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UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has responded dismissively to Arman Tsarukyan’s latest callout, which came after the 24-year-old’s victory at UFC Vegas 37.

After a constant back-and-forth with Hooker leading up to their respective fights this month, Tsarukyan was the first of the two to be in action. On last weekend’s main card, the surging lightweight faced Christos Giagos.

Having secured three unanimous decision victories in a row, the Armenian-Russian was looking to establish himself as a contender with his first finish in the promotion. In emphatic fashion, he did just that, stopping ‘”The Spartan” with strikes inside the opening round.

In the build-up to his fourth consecutive victory, much of the talk had surrounded Tsarukyan’s ongoing rivalry with Hooker. The pair’s animosity began after the #13-ranked lightweight answered the 31-year-old’s UFC 266 open callout. Not long after, Tsarukyan’s clash with Giagos was announced.

The Georgian-born fighter then accused “The Hangman” of “ducking” him in an interview with MMA News. Hooker responded by branding his fellow 155–pound contender a “dumbass” for starting a feud with him when he already had a separate fight booked.

Even during his fight week, Tsarukyan kept some focus on Hooker. During UFC Vegas 37 media day, the 24-year-old made his feelings on the #8-ranked lightweight known, suggesting he wanted to “kill” him. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that Tsarukyan had Hooker’s name on his lips in his post-fight interview.

“You know, last four fights I had decisions. Sean Shelby said you have to finish if you want to grow up. Now, I did it and think I can fight top-10 or top-five guys. Let’s go, I’m ready! I want to beat Hooker. Let’s do it.”

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Hooker responded to Tsarukyan’s latest callout. The New Zealander said he’s too focused on his upcoming fight against Nasrat Haqparast to think about what comes next for him after UFC 266.

“Yeah, well, I will say man, I have been in a bit of a whirlwind. Yeah, I saw the callout and I was just like man I got enough on my plate. I have got enough on my plate to… I don’t have time to kind of think about what’s happening next. So yeah, I will get in there with Nasrat. That’s my hundred percent focus at the moment.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

It seems the state of the pair’s rivalry will be determined by Hooker’s clash with Haqparast at UFC 266 this weekend. The fight had been in jeopardy after “The Hangman” had to take to Twitter in a desperate bid to have his US visa approved in New Zealand.

Thankfully, the 31-year-old sorted his issues and looks set to arrive in Las Vegas for the pay-per-view later this week. But with Haqparast facing his own issues over in Germany, it doesn’t appear that the matchup is out of the woods just yet.

Would you like to see Dan Hooker and Arman Tsarukyan collide inside the Octagon?

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Arman Tsarukyan Coasts Past Christos Giagos With First Round Knockout – UFC Vegas 37 Highlights

Arman TsarukyanThe #14 ranked UFC lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan has solidified his status within the division’s top-15 on the main card of UFC Vegas 37 tonight — steamrolling Christos Giagos within the opening minute of their bout with a flurry of ground strikes. Armenian-born uber-prospect, Tsarukyan has featured five times under the UFC’s banner, besting the […]

Arman Tsarukyan

The #14 ranked UFC lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan has solidified his status within the division’s top-15 on the main card of UFC Vegas 37 tonight — steamrolling Christos Giagos within the opening minute of their bout with a flurry of ground strikes.

Armenian-born uber-prospect, Tsarukyan has featured five times under the UFC’s banner, besting the quartet of Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Davi Ramos, Matt Frevola, and now Giagos, with his sole loss coming opposite surging contender, Islam Makhachev in his promotional bow back in April 2019.

Featuring midway through the main card of UFC Vegas 37 from the UFC Apex facility, Tsarukyan pressed and pressured Giagos early in the opening exchanges before wobbling and dropping him with a beautifully timed left hook following a miscued high-kick.

Rushing in with a lengthy barrage of ground strikes from both hands, Tsarukyan eventually gained the attention of referee, Herb Dean, who mercifully saved Giagos just over a minute into the first round.

Below, catch the highlights from Tsarukyan’s impressive knockout win over Giagos.

Arman Tsarukyan On Dan Hooker: “I Wanna Kill This Guy”

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has further fueled his feud with Dan Hooker by suggesting he wants to “kill” the New Zealander. Despite having separate fights booked, the two 155-pound contenders have continued to go back-and-forth over social media and through interviews. Tsarukyan is set to be in action first out of the pair. He’ll meet […]

Continue Reading Arman Tsarukyan On Dan Hooker: “I Wanna Kill This Guy” at MMA News.

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has further fueled his feud with Dan Hooker by suggesting he wants to “kill” the New Zealander.

Despite having separate fights booked, the two 155-pound contenders have continued to go back-and-forth over social media and through interviews. Tsarukyan is set to be in action first out of the pair. He’ll meet Christos Giagos inside the Octagon on this weekend’s UFC Vegas 37 main card.

Tsarukyan, who is the #14-ranked man in the lightweight division, has racked up three consecutive wins since his defeat to Islam Makhachev in 2019. After starting 2021 with a decision victory over Matt Frevola, the Georgian-born Russian will be hoping to jump closer to the top-10 with a win on Saturday night.

Despite having an opponent in front of him, Tsarukyan still appears to have one eye on Hooker. After accepting the 31-year-old’s open challenge on Twitter, the surging lightweight accused Hooker of ducking him during an interview with MMA News‘ own James Lynch last month.

After being branded a “dumbass” in response, Tsarukyan has now revealed how personal their feud has become. While speaking to reporters at UFC Vegas 37 media day, the 24-year-old took a page out of Sean Strickland’s book by suggesting he wants to “kill” Hooker.

“I want to fight with Dan Hooker if he wins next Saturday. I want to beat this guy. He speaks a lot of bad words to me and I want to kill this guy. He’s a bullshit guy.”

Aside from wanting to fight Hooker because of the rivalry they’ve developed, Tsarukyan added that the matchup would be valuable for his progression up the lightweight ladder.

“It’s a good fight for me because he’s famous, he’s ranked, and if I beat him, I can get top-five, and from there, it’s easy to get a title shot.”

After clamouring for an opponent that would fight him at UFC 266, Hooker finally secured his place alongside his City Kickboxing teammate Alexander Volkanovski on this month’s pay-per-view card. On the prelims, “The Hangman” will face unranked German Nasrat Haqparast. Since a defeat to Drew Dober last January, the 26-year-old has won two straight against Alexander Munoz and Rafa Garcia.

On a stacked card that features Volkanovski, Brian Ortega, Valentina Shevchenko, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Curtis Blaydes, and Marlon Moraes, Hooker will be hoping to rebound from his loss to Michael Chandler in emphatic fashion. If he does so, perhaps the animosity he shares with Tsarukyan can be settled inside the Octagon.

Would you like to see Dan Hooker and Arman Tsarukyan fight if both men win their fights this month?

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Dan Hooker Responds To “Dumbass” Tsarukyan’s Ducking Accusation

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has described Arman Tsarukyan as an “absolute dumbass” for claiming that he ducked a fight with the Russian-Armenian. Tsarukyan, who was last in action when he secured a decision victory over Matt Frevola at UFC 2…

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has described Arman Tsarukyan as an “absolute dumbass” for claiming that he ducked a fight with the Russian-Armenian. Tsarukyan, who was last in action when he secured a decision victory over Matt Frevola at UFC 257 in January, ignited a feud with Hooker after accepting the New Zealander’s open challenge for […]

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Responds To “Dumbass” Tsarukyan’s Ducking Accusation at MMA News.