Arman Tsarukyan’s patience has been rewarded; with the Armenian wrestler getting his long-awaited title shot against dominant champion Islam Makhachev in January 2025.
Considering the grappling credentials of the current 155lb champion, it’s safe to say that the 22-3 Armenian’s wrestling will need to be perfect if he is to get his hand raised at UFC 311 – luckily, he has the teachings of fellow wrestler Khamzat Chimaev to fall back on.
Full footage of Arman Tsarukyan vs Khamzat Chimaev grappling match released
Earlier this year, UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and middleweight superstar Khamzat Chimaev took over as coaches for the new season of Hype Fighting Championship’s reality show.
After months of snippets, full video footage from a grappling match between Tsarukyan and Chimaev has finally been released online; with the two UFC stars going at it for a full six minutes.
Whilst Chimaev was able to dominate much of the match, partially due to him holding a significant height and weight advantage, Tsarukyan was able to hold his own and crucially, avoided being submitted by the undefeated ‘Borz’.
“The fight with Khamzat was in a good tempo, I was defending and didn’t give him an option to choke me,” stated Tsarukyan after the contest ended in a hard-fought draw.
“With the size that he is now, it was very difficult for me to move him or go behind his back – I didn’t take any risks, I just stayed on the defensive and didn’t let Khamzat make a hold.”
Tsarukyan would state that Chimaev was the “strongest opponent” that he’d ever faced, before revealing that it was his ‘sensitivity’ to his takedown attempts that impressed the most.
“I’m just used to wrestling with my weight, I don’t work with those who are heavier because it’s traumatic… [But this was] good experience… Sensitivity [is his advantage], he feels good when you’re going to make a takedown – weight, physical strength and technique do a good job [too].”
Arman Tsarukyan fights for the UFC lightweight title on the first PPV of 2025
Chimaev would acknowledge that his size played a significant role in the Hype FC grappling match but praised the commitment of ‘Ahalkalakets’ ahead of the lightweight title showdown with Islam Makhachev.
“Arman is a very good wrestler, but I am 10Kg bigger than him, so it was difficult… Arman is at the highest level, he sees everything, feels everything, there is a technique [to everything he does],
“There are very good fighters in his weight class, Islam Makhachev is number one pound-for-pound and Arman is number one [contender] in his weight class. Now they can fight each other.”
That title showdown is scheduled for UFC 311, which takes place in Los Angeles on January 18, 2025. It’s unclear whether Chimaev will be in Tsarukyan’s corner for said title showdown, whilst Makhachev will have the expertise of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his ear.
In fact, it’s going to be a very busy night for coach Khabib, with Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov also fighting for UFC gold in the co-main event against Merab Dvalishvili.