Asked what would happen if he fought Tom Aspinall, Arman Tsarukyan responded with humor, saying Aspinall is simply too big and that the only way he could compete would be with a pistol.
Arman Tsarukyan offered a candid and humorous response when asked about a hypothetical matchup with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, suggesting the size difference would be so overwhelming that only a firearm would level the playing field.
Tsarukyan, nicknamed "Ahalkalakets," carries a 23-3 record and is currently ranked first in the UFC lightweight division. The 29-year-old Russian fighter, who trains out of American Top Team, stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach. He is one of the more complete competitors at 155 pounds, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a rate of 3.85 per minute with 50 percent accuracy.
Aspinall, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, presents a different picture entirely. The 33-year-old Englishman out of Team Kaobon stands six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach — a full eleven inches taller and six inches longer than Tsarukyan. Aspinall holds a 15-3 record and sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings. His striking output is exceptional for any division, with 7.63 significant strikes landed per minute at a remarkable 67 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- The exchange highlights just how extreme the physical gap between lightweight and heavyweight can be at the elite level.
- Aspinall's six-inch height and six-inch reach advantages over Tsarukyan underline why the comment landed as more than a throwaway joke.
- Both men are among the very best in their respective divisions, making the contrast a genuine reflection of how differently the sport's weight classes are built at the top.
Tsarukyan's remarks were clearly made in good spirit, but the numbers behind them tell a straightforward story about the physical reality separating a top lightweight contender from the man who currently rules the heavyweights.
