Real American FreestyleArman Tsarukyan
Crossover Cruiserweight · UFC · RAF · ADXC
Overview
Arman Tsarukyan is the clearest example of what Real American Freestyle was built to do. He is a top two UFC lightweight who spends the gaps between fights wrestling actual freestyle matches, and since January 2026 he has been the most active crossover athlete on the RAF roster.
He was born in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, to an Armenian family, and played junior ice hockey for six years, including with the youth side of HC Amur, before choosing combat sport at seventeen. He turned professional in MMA in 2015 and arrived in the UFC in April 2019 on short notice, losing a Fight of the Night decision to Islam Makhachev on debut. He has lost once in the octagon since.
His RAF run has been lopsided. Seven of his first eight matches were wins and five of those were technical falls. The exception is the one that mattered most: Colby Covington beat him 5-3 at RAF 11 for the inaugural Cruiserweight Crossover Championship, handing him his first RAF loss and taking the belt he had called for.
He is also the reason RAF got its first genuine pull apart brawl. After beating Georgio Poullas at RAF 06 in Tempe he shoved and punched him, both corners spilled onto the mat, and the fighting carried into the crowd.
Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev have fought once, in April 2019, and Makhachev won a unanimous decision. A second fight was booked for the lightweight title at UFC 311 in January 2025 and Tsarukyan withdrew the day before with a back injury from the weight cut. It gets written up as a two fight series constantly. It is not one. He has contested zero UFC title fights: one booked and withdrawn from, one declined in 2024, and one eliminator won at UFC 300.
RAF Record
7-1 across 8 completed matches, every one linked to its full card. A tech fall means a ten point lead ended it early, freestyle wrestling’s version of a squash.
| Date | Event | Opponent | Result | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | RAF 14 Announced | Dillon Danis | – | Middleweight Crossover Championship |
| Jul 18, 2026 | RAF 11 Cruiserweight Crossover Championship | Colby Covington | L | dec 3-5 |
| Jul 11, 2026 | RAF Georgia | Kuat Khamitov | W | tech fall 11-0 |
| Jun 13, 2026 | RAF 10 | Tony Ferguson | W | tech fall 10-0 |
| May 30, 2026 | RAF 09 | Keelon Jimison | W | tech fall 16-5 |
| Apr 18, 2026 | RAF 08 | Urijah Faber | W | tech fall 13-1 |
| Mar 28, 2026 | RAF 07 Rematch | Georgio Poullas | W | dec 9-3 |
| Feb 28, 2026 | RAF 06 Brawl after the bell | Georgio Poullas | W | decision, score disputed |
| Jan 10, 2026 | RAF 05 RAF debut | Lance Palmer | W | tech fall 10-0 |
8 matches on record, 1 announced
UFC Record
10-2 in the UFC and 23-3 as a professional. He debuted in April 2019 on short notice.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 2025 | Dan Hooker | W | Submission, arm triangle | R2 3:34 | UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Charles Oliveira | W | Decision, split | R3 5:00 | UFC 300 |
| Dec 2, 2023 | Beneil Dariush | W | KO, knee and punches | R1 1:04 | UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan |
| Jun 17, 2023 | Joaquim Silva | W | TKO, punches | R3 3:25 | UFC on ESPN 47 |
| Dec 17, 2022 | Damir Ismagulov | W | Decision, unanimous | R3 5:00 | UFC Fight Night 216 |
| Jun 25, 2022 | Mateusz Gamrot | L | Decision, unanimous | R5 5:00 | UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot |
| Feb 26, 2022 | Joel Alvarez | W | TKO, punches | R2 1:57 | UFC Fight Night 202 |
| Sep 18, 2021 | Christos Giagos | W | TKO, punches | R1 2:09 | UFC Fight Night 192 |
| Jan 23, 2021 | Matt Frevola | W | Decision, unanimous | R3 5:00 | UFC 257 |
| Jul 19, 2020 | Davi Ramos | W | Decision, unanimous | R3 5:00 | UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 |
| Jul 27, 2019 | Olivier Aubin-Mercier | W | Decision, unanimous | R3 5:00 | UFC 240 |
| Apr 20, 2019 | Islam Makhachev | L | Decision, unanimous | R3 5:00 | UFC Fight Night 149 |
12 bouts listed
Background
His wrestling background is real but thinner than the reputation suggests, and it is worth being exact about it. He holds Master of Sport rank in freestyle wrestling and a second in mixed martial arts. No world, European or national championship medal appears in any published record, and Armenian coverage has framed a European Championship run as something he could still do rather than something he has done. What is documented is a wrestling base built alongside six years of junior ice hockey, and a takedown game that has carried into both sports.
His submission grappling record is 4-0-1, including a technical decision over Benson Henderson by arm triangle and a fifth round rear naked choke on former Bellator champion Patricky Freire at ADXC 10 in May 2025.
Rivalries
Colby Covington
Tsarukyan called Covington out from the mat at RAF 08 and Covington accepted. Three months later Covington beat him 5-2 in Milwaukee for the inaugural Crossover Championship, handing him his only RAF loss.
Georgio Poullas
The one that turned personal. Tsarukyan won a decision in Tempe that four outlets published four different ways, then attacked Poullas after the bell, triggering a mat wide brawl with both corners and fights in the crowd. He won the Tampa rematch 9-3.
Islam Makhachev
Makhachev won their only meeting by unanimous decision in Saint Petersburg, a Fight of the Night that was Tsarukyan's octagon debut on short notice. The rematch has been booked twice and has never happened.
Dillon Danis
Announced for the inaugural Middleweight Crossover Championship at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Danis was pinned in 41 seconds by Khamzat Chimaev at RAF 10.
FAQ
Is Arman Tsarukyan a professional wrestler?
No. He is a mixed martial artist who competes in freestyle wrestling. RAF matches are real competition scored under freestyle rules, not worked pro wrestling matches.
What is his RAF record?
Seven wins and one loss across eight completed matches, with five of the wins by technical fall. The loss is to Colby Covington at RAF 11 in the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship match.
Has he fought Islam Makhachev twice?
No. They fought once, in April 2019, and Makhachev won by unanimous decision. A title rematch was booked for UFC 311 in January 2025 and Tsarukyan pulled out the day before with a back injury.
Did he win an Olympic or World wrestling medal?
No. He holds Master of Sport rank in freestyle wrestling and a second in mixed martial arts, but no world, European or national championship medal appears in any published record.
Who does he face next?
Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, and Dillon Danis at RAF 14 on October 3, 2026.