Arman Tsarukyan met with Joël Alvarez in New Jersey and jokingly proposed a future scenario where Alvarez takes the welterweight title and Tsarukyan captures the lightweight belt, setting up a rematch. The two previously fought in February 2022, when Tsarukyan defeated Alvarez via TKO ground-and-pound in the second round. Since that loss, Alvarez has been undefeated and has moved up to welterweight, where he has already won one fight against Vicente Luque in October.
Arman Tsarukyan and Joël Alvarez crossed paths in New Jersey recently, and the lightweight contender used the occasion to float a lighthearted vision of a future rematch — one that would require both men to claim titles in different weight classes first.
Tsarukyan, 29, is currently the number-one ranked lightweight contender and carries a record of 23-3-0. The Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the 155-pound division, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. He is orthodox and stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach.
The two fighters first met in February 2022, with Tsarukyan stopping Alvarez via TKO ground-and-pound in the second round. Since that defeat, Alvarez has not lost again and has since moved up to welterweight, where he most recently defeated Vicente Luque in October. Luque, a 34-year-old veteran known as The Silent Assassin, carries a record of 24-12-1 and has long been considered a dangerous test for any welterweight, averaging 4.83 significant strikes per minute with 51 percent accuracy.
Tsarukyan's tongue-in-cheek proposal imagines a scenario where Alvarez climbs to the top of the 170-pound division while Tsarukyan captures the lightweight title, setting the stage for a second meeting between the two.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender, making any talk of his future carry divisional weight at 155 pounds
- Alvarez's unbeaten run since 2022 and his welterweight win over Luque signal he is a credible threat at 170 pounds
- A cross-division history between the two adds a compelling narrative layer to both men's title pursuits
- The playful exchange keeps a potential rematch in the public conversation without any formal commitment
