Shovkhal has issued a unique challenge to Arman Tsarukyan during a social interaction captured on video. Shovkhal offered Tsarukyan 500,000 rubles if the UFC lightweight can score a point against him in wrestling within one minute. The challenge appears to be related to Shovkhal's upcoming wrestling match with an Olympic champion. When Tsarukyan asked for clarification about dollars versus rubles, Shovkhal confirmed the bet is in rubles. Tsarukyan accepted the challenge, and Shovkhal even offered to give up a leg position. The playful exchange was filmed by Nika Kelekhsashvili and appears to be part of ongoing banter between the two fighters.
Arman Tsarukyan found himself on the receiving end of an unusual sporting proposition recently, when a wrestler named Shovkhal issued him a live challenge on camera: score a single point in one minute of wrestling, and walk away with 500,000 rubles.
The bet, captured on video by Nika Kelekhsashvili, appeared to stem from Shovkhal's preparation for an upcoming wrestling match against an Olympic champion. Shovkhal was confident enough in his grappling credentials to offer Tsarukyan a leg position as a head start, yet still backed himself to hold the Armenian-born fighter scoreless for sixty seconds.
Tsarukyan, ranked number one in the UFC lightweight division, is no stranger to wrestling. The 29-year-old orthodox striker out of Russia and training out of American Top Team carries a professional MMA record of 23-3 and averages 3.26 takedowns per fifteen minutes — numbers that reflect genuine grappling ability rather than a pure striking background. He lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at fifty percent accuracy, making him one of the more complete fighters in a stacked 155-pound division.
When Tsarukyan asked whether the offer was in dollars or rubles, Shovkhal confirmed it was rubles. Tsarukyan accepted regardless, setting up what the two apparently intend to follow through on.
Why it matters
- The exchange highlights the wrestling culture that runs deep among fighters from the region, even in a lighthearted setting.
- Tsarukyan's willingness to engage publicly in grappling challenges underlines his confidence as a well-rounded athlete at the top of the lightweight rankings.
- The video adds context to the friendship and ongoing banter between the two, with Shovkhal's Olympic-level preparation serving as the backdrop for the bet.
