Arman Tsarukyan met with Joël Alvarez in New Jersey and jokingly discussed a future rematch scenario. Tsarukyan suggested Alvarez should take the welterweight belt while he captures the lightweight title, then they could run it back. The two previously fought in February 2022, when Tsarukyan dominated Alvarez with ground-and-pound to win by second-round TKO. Since that loss, Alvarez has been on a winning streak and moved up to welterweight, where he defeated Vicente Luque in October. The meeting was friendly and the rematch talk appears playful rather than serious matchmaking.
Arman Tsarukyan and Joël Alvarez crossed paths in New Jersey recently, and the two former opponents couldn't resist joking about a potential road back to each other — this time with championship gold on the line.
Tsarukyan, the 29-year-old Russian lightweight ranked first in his division, floated the idea that Alvarez should go capture the welterweight title while he takes care of business at lightweight, setting up a rematch between two champions. The playful exchange reflects how far both men have come since their first meeting.
The pair originally fought in February 2022, when Tsarukyan dominated Alvarez with ground-and-pound, finishing him by TKO in the second round. It was a showcase of Tsarukyan's grappling pressure, a weapon that remains central to his game — he averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and carries a 23-3-0 record fighting out of American Top Team.
Alvarez, meanwhile, has turned that defeat into a springboard. He has strung together a winning streak since the loss and made the move up to welterweight, where he most recently defeated Vicente Luque in October. Luque, a 34-year-old finisher who lands 4.83 significant strikes per minute and holds a 24-12-1 record, was considered a stiff test at 170 pounds, making Alvarez's win a credible statement in the new division.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender, keeping championship ambitions very much alive
- Alvarez's welterweight move and win over Luque establishes him as a legitimate presence in a new division
- Any future rematch would carry genuine intrigue given Tsarukyan's dominant first-fight performance and Alvarez's subsequent growth
- The friendly nature of the meeting suggests no formal talks are underway — this remains lighthearted rather than serious matchmaking
