Tag: arman tsarukyan

Tsarukyan: 70% Of Russians Thought Ferguson Would Beat Khabib

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan claims the majority of Russians picked Tony Ferguson to upend Khabib Nurmagomedov in the Octagon. Tsarukyan has been on a tear with five-straight wins in the UFC. He earned a brutal TKO finish over Joel Alvarez at UFC Vegas 49 to continue his climb up the lightweight rankings. While Tsarukyan has…

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UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan claims the majority of Russians picked Tony Ferguson to upend Khabib Nurmagomedov in the Octagon.

Tsarukyan has been on a tear with five-straight wins in the UFC. He earned a brutal TKO finish over Joel Alvarez at UFC Vegas 49 to continue his climb up the lightweight rankings.

While Tsarukyan has proven to be a real factor at 155 pounds, he has arguably yet to earn a signature big-name win on his record. His lone defeat came against Islam Makhachev in April 2019.

Arman Tsarukyan Says Tony Ferguson Has A Lot Of Support, But Can’t Beat Khabib

During a past media scrum, Tsarukyan gave his thoughts on the seemingly cursed Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov matchup. The two were once considered the best lightweights in the world and a very intriguing stylistic matchup.

Many believed that Ferguson had the tools to give Khabib trouble wherever the fight would go, including on the mat. And apparently, the majority of Russians thought so as well.

“I don’t think so,” Tsarukyan said when asked about Ferguson’s chances against Nurmagomedov. “But, you know, I live in Russia … UFC is I think number one sport. Everyone, like, watch UFC, and like 70% said Tony Ferguson was going to win—I don’t know why. Tony Ferguson really, like, he has a lot of fans in Russia.”

Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were supposed to fight on numerous occasions during their respective careers, but the bout constantly fell through. Nurmagomedov retired following his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

Ferguson is looking to get back in the win column after losses to Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush. He hasn’t won since his finish doctor’s stoppage victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 238. He is currently scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 274.

Do you believe Arman Tsarukyan Do you think most Russians picked Tony Ferguson to beat Khabib?

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Tsarukyan Doubles Down On Gillespie Callouts: “He Is Scared Of Me”

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has once again expressed his desire to share the Octagon with Gregor Gillespie, who he believes is “scared” to face him. If Tsarukyan wasn’t on your radar as one of the hottest prospects in the UFC before UFC Vegas 49, he certainly is now. After falling to a loss on promotional…

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UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has once again expressed his desire to share the Octagon with Gregor Gillespie, who he believes is “scared” to face him.

If Tsarukyan wasn’t on your radar as one of the hottest prospects in the UFC before UFC Vegas 49, he certainly is now. After falling to a loss on promotional debut to Islam Makhachev, the Armenian got back on track with three consecutive unanimous decision wins.

But now, Tsarukyan has returned to the finishing form that brought him 10 stoppages in his first 13 victories in professional MMA. After a first-round TKO victory over Christos Giagos last September, the 25-year-old hoped to impress even more in his first outing of 2022.

With some brutal elbows and a vicious second-round TKO against fellow young prospect Joel Álvarez, Tsarukyan did just that.

Now, having risen to #12 in the UFC lightweight rankings, Tsarukyan is looking ahead to his next challenge, with the goal being a place inside the divisional top 10. When discussing his next move post-fight, the two-time Performance of the Night winner had a familiar name on his lips.

Tsarukyan Sees Gillespie As Route To LW Top 10

Prior to his fight with Álvarez coming to fruition and after it became apparent a verbal feud with Dan Hooker wasn’t likely to reach the Octagon, Tsarukyan had his sights set on top-10 contender Gillespie.

With “The Gift” seemingly declining him as an opponent, Tsarukyan was forced to look elsewhere. But during his appearance at the UFC Vegas 49 post-fight press conference, the Armenian circled back to the decorated wrestler, calling him out and accusing the 34-year-old of being “scared.”

“You know, in our division, like, I wanna fight with top 10, but now everybody almost have fights, and just (Gregor) Gillespie doesn’t have fight. He is scared of me, you know? UFC offered me twice fights with him, and he doesn’t want fights. I don’t know what he wants, but I’d like fight with him because he’s number nine, it’s gonna be good fight, we both wrestlers. If I win him, it gets me close to title shot and top fighters.”

Tsarukyan previously made a Gillespie offer public. Last October, the 25-year-old took to Instagram to confirm he’d accepted an approach from the UFC to face “The Fisherman.” While he hadn’t answered at the time, the response evidently wasn’t the acceptance Tsarukyan was after.

Interestingly, Tsarukyan’s latest callout comes a few weeks after former UFC star Chael Sonnen claimed he’d been told Gillespie has a habit of rejecting fights.

While he didn’t possess evidence other than an apparent source, Tsarukyan’s failed attempts to make the matchup come together, as well as the veteran’s lengthy periods of inactivity, certainly supports Sonnen’s claims.

It remains to be seen whether the Armenian’s recent remarks will be met with a more positive response from the #9-ranked contender.

Would you like to see Arman Tsarukyan face Gregor Gillespie next?

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Arman Tsarukyan Batters Joel Alvarez For Bloody TKO Win – UFC Vegas 49 Highlights

Arman TsarukyanArman Tsarukyan passed one of the biggest tests of his career in flying colours at UFC Vegas 49. The Armenian dominated Joel Alvarez with his wrestling and ground and pound on route to a second-round TKO win. Alvarez was badly cut towards the end of round 1 and was not able to intelligently defend himself […]

Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan passed one of the biggest tests of his career in flying colours at UFC Vegas 49.

The Armenian dominated Joel Alvarez with his wrestling and ground and pound on route to a second-round TKO win.

Alvarez was badly cut towards the end of round 1 and was not able to intelligently defend himself for the rest of the fight.

Check out the highlights.

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez Targeted For Feb. 26 Fight Night

Ranked lightweight prospects Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez are reportedly set to collide at a UFC Fight Night scheduled for February 26.

Per TASS MMA reporter Igor Lazorin, the pair will square off on a card expected to be headlined by another b…

Arman Tsarukyan, Joel Alvarez

Ranked lightweight prospects Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez are reportedly set to collide at a UFC Fight Night scheduled for February 26.

Per TASS MMA reporter Igor Lazorin, the pair will square off on a card expected to be headlined by another blockbuster clash in the 155-pound division. Top-five contenders Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush are set to meet for a title eliminator in the main event.

With a matchup between Ignacio Bahamondes and Rongzhu also slated for the date, February 26 is shaping up to be a real lightweight showcase.

#12-ranked Tsarukyan has built a winning streak that’s seen him surge towards the lightweight top 10. Since a promotional debut loss to Makhachev, the Armenian-Russian has won four straight. After decision triumphs over Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Davi Ramos, and Matt Frevola, the 25-year-old recorded his first finish on MMA’s biggest stage at UFC Vegas 37. Showing his improved standup skills, Tsarukyan finished Christos Giagos in the first round.

After a brief social media and interview feud with perennial contender Dan Hooker, many expected Tsarukyan to challenge “The Hangman” following their respective wins in September. Instead, the New Zealander fell short against Makhachev, and is now expected to return to featherweight. The #12-ranked contender also claimed he’d accepted a fight against Gregor Gillespie. With today’s news, it appears “The Gift” didn’t hold the same enthusiasm for the matchup.

#15-ranked Alvarez, meanwhile, burst into the rankings with a memorable victory over Thiago Moises earlier this month. Against the Brazilian, who headlined a card opposite Makhachev in the summer, the 28-year-old put his potential on full display with a dominant performance that saw him finish the formerly-ranked Moises with some brutal first-round elbows and punches.

Like Tsarukyan, Alvarez has also followed a debut loss with four consecutive victories. After a decision defeat to Damir Ismagulov, the Spaniard submitted Joseph Duffy, who boasts a win over Conor McGregor, and Alexander Yakovlev. His latest win ensured he matched Tsarukyan’s winning streak and set up a clash of rising prospects with his lightweight peer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWO3c0OPOIW/

The card is still in its early days, but below are the fights expected to take place on February 26:

Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev (Lightweight main event)

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez (Lightweight)

Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rongzhu (Lightweight)

Jinh Yu Frey vs. Hannah Goldy (Women’s strawweight)

Who do you think will have their hand raised in this one, Arman Tsarukyan or Joel Alvarez?

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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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