RAF is targeting an event in Armenia for early 2027. Arman Tsarukyan is reportedly helping to get the deal done. The plans are still in the works and have not been finalized.
RAF is reportedly targeting an event in Armenia for early 2027, with UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan said to be helping push the deal forward. MMA Fighting reported the plans, which are still in the works and have not been finalized.
Nothing about the card, the venue or a date has been confirmed, and the report does not say what role Tsarukyan would play beyond assisting in the negotiations.
Tsarukyan, 30, is a Russia-born lightweight who currently holds the number two spot in the UFC's divisional rankings. He carries a 24-3-0 record and trains out of American Top Team. His connection to Armenia gives the reported involvement some logic, though the report itself does not detail how that link factors into the talks.
He arrives in this story on a strong run. His most recent recorded fight came on September 19, 2026, at UFC 331, where he stopped Mauricio Ruffy by knockout in the first round. That followed a second-round submission of Dan Hooker in November 2025, and before that a split-decision win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024. That is three straight recorded wins, two of them finishes.
The numbers describe a grappling-forward fighter with real pop. Tsarukyan averages 3.25 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 3.78 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy. At five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he gives up size to many lightweights but has leaned on pressure and wrestling to close the gap.
Why it matters
- A card in Armenia would add another regional hub to the growing map of events outside the traditional MMA strongholds.
- Tsarukyan's reported involvement suggests top-ranked fighters are playing a growing part in shaping where and how new events come together.
- With the timeline pointing to early 2027, any announcement would likely be months away, and the plans could still change.
Until RAF or the parties involved say more, the Armenia event should be treated as a plan under discussion, not a scheduled show.
