Arman Tsarukyan almost lost his UFC job after his bout with Islam Makhachev. For most fighters, getting to the UFC and becoming a world champion is the ultimate dream. However, given the limited spots and the intense competition for it, staying on the UFC roster for a number of years is a hard task. Fighters often get cut after a fight or two, as the promotion does not believe they have what it takes to survive. For Arman Tsarukyan, he believes he was a loss away from being released by the UFC. Thankfully, for him, things played out differently.
Tsarukyan had arguably the toughest debut fight of all time in the UFC. ‘Ahalkalakets’ took on Islam Makhachev on his UFC debut and succumbed to a loss. Following the loss, he was scheduled to fight Olivier Aubin-Mercier. While speaking to ‘Red Corner MMA’, he explained why the fight against Aubin-Mercier was the toughest fight of his life. He said,
“My hardest fight in the UFC was the second one (vs Aubin-Mercier). I lost to Islam and flew over to Canada, with no coaches. I felt nervous as I thought that if I would have lost they would have removed me from the UFC. 0-2 in the UFC and my career is over. So I was scared of embarrassing myself.”
Tsarukyan went on to add that he won the first and the second round against Mercier closely. Going into the third round, he felt he was fighting for his UFC career. Thankfully, Tsarukyan persevered and got the win. He went on to add that the UFC did not treat him well initially. However, after stringing together a few wins, the UFC realised the potential he has and started giving him the fights that he wanted.
The 27-year-old’s hard work and determination bore him rich fruits and now, he has a huge opportunity to beat Oliveira at 300 and get a chance to avenge his loss against Islam Makhachev. Tsarukyan also doubled down on the Khabib vs. McGregor debate in the same interview.
Arman Tsarukyan makes his pick for the lightweight ‘GOAT’ title
‘Ahalkalakets’ was asked about what he thought it took to be a great MMA fighter. He stated that it is not just about what is achieved in the octagon but also about what the fighter stands for outside of it. Tsarukyan went on to explain how Khabib Nurmagomedov is a positive role model both inside and outside the octagon and how the same can not be said for Conor McGregor.
‘Ahalkalakets’ added that McGregor promotes things that harm individuals such as alcohol and marijuana whereas ‘The Eagle’ does not do any such thing. Owing to these factors, Tsarukyan put the crown of the lightweight ‘GOAT’ title to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
