Arman Tsarukyan shares training footage with Khamzat Chimaev

Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev have been sharing the mat in the UAE, with Tsarukyan posting video footage to social media on April 22 showing the two elite fighters working through joint training sessions as they each prepare for their next octagon appearances.

Tsarukyan, 29, enters camp as the number-one ranked lightweight contender carrying a 23-3 record. The Russian fighter out of American Top Team stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and brings a well-rounded offensive game to the table, averaging 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy while also threatening consistently on the ground with 3.26 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.

Chimaev, nicknamed Borz, is the number-one ranked middleweight and sits at number 10 in the pound-for-pound standings. The 32-year-old UAE-based Allstars Training Center product holds a 15-1 record and is one of the sport's most statistically dominant grapplers, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. He also generates striking volume at 4.04 significant strikes per minute with a remarkable 60 percent accuracy, among the highest in the division.

The post offered no specifics regarding either fighter's next scheduled bout or a projected return date, but expressed clear anticipation for both men stepping back into the cage.

Why it matters

• Tsarukyan's camp activity signals the lightweight title picture could be heating up, as the division's top contender sharpens his tools.
• Chimaev training alongside a high-level wrestling threat like Tsarukyan suggests deliberate preparation for the upper tier of the middleweight division.
• The cross-divisional pairing offers both fighters rare exposure to contrasting size, speed, and grappling styles ahead of high-stakes returns.