Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan withstood early submission threats from Oliveira, answered with consistent wrestling and top control, and stayed disciplined through the late grappling danger to take the split decision.

Key moments

• Survived a tight guillotine from Oliveira in the opening round.
• Answered with sustained wrestling and control between submission threats.
• Took the split decision to earn a shot at the lightweight title.

Tsarukyan opened a severe cut above Alvarez's eye with a precise elbow during a first-round grappling exchange, then worked the damage relentlessly into round two before the referee stopped it at 1:57.

Key moments

• Landed a perfectly placed elbow from guard that opened a deep cut on Alvarez's forehead in round one.
• Continued attacking the cut with ground-and-pound into round two to force the stoppage.
• Earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the second consecutive fight.
• Used the post-fight mic to publicly call out Islam Makhachev to avenge his 2019 loss.

Tsarukyan waited for his moment and landed a clean left hook that dropped Giagos, then swarmed with ground punches to force the stoppage at 2:09 of round one. The first-round TKO earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and was his fourth consecutive UFC win.

Key moments

• Dropped Giagos with a well-timed left hook in the opening round.
• Followed up with ground punches to earn the TKO stoppage from referee Herb Dean.
• Earned Performance of the Night for the finish.
• Fourth straight UFC win, cementing his push up the lightweight rankings.

In a last-minute booking on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Tsarukyan dominated Frevola with relentless wrestling, landing 10 of 12 takedown attempts and out-striking him 50-16 for a 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 sweep. Frevola had his moments — briefly stunning Tsarukyan in round one and threatening a guillotine in round three — but Tsarukyan's volume and control were decisive.

Key moments

• Stepped in as a late replacement after multiple opponent changes disrupted the booking.
• Landed 10 of 12 takedown attempts across three rounds, controlling the bulk of the fight on the mat.
• Frevola briefly stunned Tsarukyan in round one, but Tsarukyan shook it off and kept pressing.
• Swept all three judges' cards for his third consecutive UFC victory.

On UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Tsarukyan neutralised the submission threat of jiu-jitsu specialist Davi Ramos with sharp footwork and leg kicks before taking him down in rounds two and three. A right hand knockdown in the third round punctuated a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision win.

Key moments

• Used speed and leg kicks to defuse Ramos's submission-heavy game in round one.
• Controlled the fight on the mat in rounds two and three with takedowns and top pressure.
• Knocked Ramos down with a right hand in the third round.
• Won the unanimous decision to post his second straight UFC victory.

In his second UFC outing — and first win in the promotion — Tsarukyan rallied against a strong Aubin-Mercier performance that featured jarring knees in the early going. He locked down a takedown in the final round and kept Aubin-Mercier grounded until the horn, earning three 29-28 cards in front of the Canadian's home crowd in Edmonton.

Key moments

• First UFC victory, coming three months after his debut loss to Islam Makhachev.
• Aubin-Mercier connected with sharp knees and controlled the striking in round two.
• A decisive takedown and ground control in round three was the winning move.
• Won all three judges' cards 29-28 in Aubin-Mercier's home venue in Edmonton, Alberta.

In his UFC debut in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Tsarukyan gave the future lightweight champion one of his toughest early tests — becoming the first man to take Makhachev down in the UFC — before losing a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision.

Key moments

• UFC debut, held in front of a partisan Russian crowd in Saint Petersburg.
• Became the first fighter to take Makhachev down in the UFC, shooting successfully in round one.
• Makhachev controlled the wrestling exchanges and secured top position to take rounds two and three.
• The fight earned Fight of the Night; Tsarukyan's performance despite the loss drew widespread attention.

Tsarukyan captured the MFP lightweight championship by outpointing Takenori Sato in a competitive 15-minute headliner in Khabarovsk, Russia. He threatened with takedowns and near-submissions throughout, nearly finishing with a rear-naked choke early before Sato survived a tight kimura threat in round two to reach the final bell.

Key moments

• Won the MFP Lightweight Championship title in the main event of MFP 214.
• Nearly finished Sato with a rear-naked choke inside the first five minutes.
• Sato threatened with a kimura in round two before Tsarukyan secured the decision.
• Championship win at the Platinum Arena in Khabarovsk ahead of his Road FC outing.

Tsarukyan made his professional MMA debut with a first-round TKO win over Shamil Olokhanov at MFP: Assault Nights of Spassk 2015 in Spassk-Dalny, Russia. Both men were making their professional debuts; Tsarukyan's wrestling-based pressure was too much for Olokhanov to handle.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut at Spassk Sports Center in Spassk-Dalny, Russia.
• Both Tsarukyan and Olokhanov were making their professional debuts.
• First-round TKO by punches at 2:47 set the pattern for his finishing style.