Tsarukyan shares training footage with Chimaev ahead of octagon returns

Arman Tsarukyan took to social media to share footage of himself training alongside Khamzat Chimaev, offering fans a glimpse of the two top-ranked fighters working together in the UAE as both men prepare for their respective returns to the octagon.

Tsarukyan, 29, enters his comeback as the number-one ranked lightweight contender, carrying a 23-3 record and a reputation as one of the division's most dangerous two-way threats. The Russian southpaw — standing five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach — lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute while also averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a legitimate problem in every phase of a fight.

Chimaev, meanwhile, is working back to the octagon as the top-ranked middleweight and the tenth-ranked fighter pound-for-pound. The UAE-based Chechen holds a 15-1 record and remains one of the most physically imposing presences in the sport at six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. His numbers are striking: a 60 percent striking accuracy and 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes make "Borz" a matchmaker's nightmare for any opponent.

No official dates have been announced for either man's next bout.

Why it matters

• Tsarukyan is the lightweight division's top contender, meaning his next appearance could have direct title implications.
• Chimaev's return at middleweight is one of the most anticipated comebacks in the sport, given his standing as the division's number-one ranked fighter.
• The cross-divisional training partnership signals both men are deep into serious camp work, even without confirmed opponents.
• Style-wise, two high-volume grapplers sharpening each other figures to sharpen the most dangerous aspects of both fighters' games.