Exactly one year ago, on May 2, 2025, Arman Tsarukyan began what has become a remarkable multi-promotion campaign by competing at a Karate Combat event against Makkasharip Zaynukov. Since then, Tsarukyan has competed nine additional times across various rulesets including grappling, submission-only, and freestyle wrestling, not counting MMA bouts, across four different leagues. Only four of his ten total matches went to decision, with notable submission victories over opponents like Mehdi, Freire, and Henderson. His involvement has significantly boosted the profile of the RAF league, which now wants him on every event, having already scheduled two fights just two weeks apart. Simultaneously, Tsarukyan has doubled his social media following over the past year, grown a Telegram channel from zero to over 100,000 subscribers, and produced vlogs that have collectively generated more than 5 million views, along with daily short videos reaching millions of views and collaborations with Western stars.
One year ago today, Arman Tsarukyan stepped into a Karate Combat event to face Makkasharip Zaynukov, kicking off what has grown into one of combat sports' most ambitious cross-promotion runs in recent memory.
Tsarukyan, the 29-year-old Russian lightweight ranked number one in the UFC's 155-pound division, carries a professional MMA record of 23-3-0 and trains out of American Top Team. Standing five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he has built his UFC reputation on a well-rounded skill set that includes 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute at 50 percent accuracy and 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. Outside the Octagon, though, the fighter nicknamed Ahalkalakets has quietly constructed a second career across multiple rulesets and organizations.
In the twelve months since that Karate Combat debut, Tsarukyan has competed nine additional times beyond MMA, spanning grappling, submission-only, and freestyle wrestling formats across four different leagues. Six of those ten total appearances ended before the final bell, with submission victories recorded over opponents including Mehdi, Freire, and Henderson standing out among the highlights. Only four of the ten contests went to decision.
His activity has had a measurable impact on the RAF league in particular, which has responded by booking him on consecutive cards just two weeks apart, underscoring how much his presence moves the needle for the organization.
The momentum has extended well beyond the mat. Tsarukyan has doubled his social media following over the past year, built a Telegram channel from scratch to more than 100,000 subscribers, and released vlogs that have collectively drawn over 5 million views. Daily short-form videos are reaching millions more, with collaborations alongside Western stars adding further reach to what has become a genuine media operation running parallel to his fighting career.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the UFC's number-one ranked lightweight while simultaneously expanding his brand across four separate combat sports organizations
- His submission finishes outside MMA challenge the perception of him primarily as a striker and wrestler
- The RAF league's eagerness to schedule him on back-to-back events reflects the commercial pull he now carries in non-UFC markets
- A rapidly growing social media footprint suggests his influence on the sport could outlast any single promotion
