Exactly one year ago, on May 2, 2025, Arman Tsarukyan competed at Karate Combat against Makkasharip Zainukov. Since then, he has competed 9 more times across various rulesets including grappling, submission-only, and freestyle wrestling in four different promotions, not counting MMA. Only 4 of his 10 matches went to decision, with notable submission victories over Mehdi, Freire, and Henderson. The RAF league has grown significantly alongside Tsarukyan and wants him at every event, with two matches already scheduled two weeks apart. His social media presence has also exploded, doubling his followers, launching a Telegram channel that reached 100k+ subscribers, producing vlogs with over 5 million total views, and posting daily short videos garnering millions of views each.
One year after stepping outside the cage to test himself in Karate Combat, Arman Tsarukyan has turned crossover competition into a defining part of his identity, marking the anniversary of that first venture on May 2, 2026.
The Russian lightweight contender, ranked number one in the UFC's 155-pound division at 29 years old, kicked off the run exactly a year ago when he faced Makkasharip Zainukov under Karate Combat rules. Since then, Tsarukyan has added nine more appearances across grappling, submission-only, and freestyle wrestling formats — ten crossover bouts in total, spread across four different promotions outside of MMA. Tsarukyan carries a 23-3-0 professional record and trains out of American Top Team, bringing a well-rounded skill set to every ruleset he enters. His MMA numbers reflect that versatility: he lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy and averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, a combination that translates naturally to both striking and grappling formats.
Only four of his ten crossover matches went to the judges, underscoring his finishing instincts in non-MMA competition. Standout submission victories over Mehdi, Freire, and Henderson have highlighted the run.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's crossover activity signals a shift in how top contenders are building brands and staying active between major MMA bookings
- The RAF league has grown alongside him and already has two of his bouts scheduled just two weeks apart, suggesting the relationship is deepening
- Outside the gym, his social media footprint has doubled in followers, a Telegram channel has surpassed 100,000 subscribers, vlogs have accumulated more than five million total views, and short daily videos are drawing millions of views each — placing him among the more visible fighters in the sport heading into what figures to be a pivotal stretch of his career
