Arman Tsarukyan Books Third Grappling Bout of 2025
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan is set to compete in his third grappling match of 2025, taking part in the ACBJJ tournament in Moscow on September 19. The promotion, known as Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has yet to announce his opponent.
The fight comes at a time when Arman Tsarukyan is firmly in the spotlight. Sitting at the number two spot in the UFC lightweight rankings, he is widely considered a future title challenger. Adding intrigue, Mateusz Gamrot, the last man to defeat Tsarukyan in the UFC, recently revealed that he turned down the opportunity to meet him in this grappling event, insisting they should do it in the UFC. That statement alone has fueled speculation about what could come next.
What He Did After Pulling Out Of The Title Shot
A day before UFC 311, Tsarukyan withdrew from his lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev due to a back injury. He later publicly apologized and accepted Dana White’s stance that he wouldn’t get an immediate rebooking for the belt.
He stayed in the mix by making championship weight as the official backup for UFC 317, where Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title.
In the meantime, Tsarukyan linked up with Khamzat Chimaev for part of his UFC 319 camp for Dricus du Plessis and even cornered him on fight night. These moves kept Tsarukyan active, visible, and fight-ready while he awaited UFC plans.
Why Grappling Matters for Tsarukyan
Grappling events have become a consistent part of Tsarukyan’s competitive calendar. Earlier this year, he defeated Makkasharip Zaynukov at Pit Submission Series 12 via RNC and submitted Patricky Pitbull Freire with a rear-naked choke at ADXC 10.
The upcoming Arman Tsarukyan grappling match in Moscow keeps him sharp as he awaits his next UFC fight. It is also a rare chance to see a top UFC lightweight contender showcase his jiu-jitsu skills outside the Octagon.
Tsarukyan vs Topuria: The Fight Everyone Wants
While Tsarukyan keeps sharpening his grappling, the matchup that looms is a UFC lightweight title fight with reigning champion Ilia Topuria, who captured the vacant belt by stopping Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has openly stated in his interview with Kamil Gadzhiyev that Tsarukyan is the man most likely to dethrone Topuria, praising his wrestling, pressure, and well-rounded skill set:
“I believe right now, the best lightweight is [Tsarukyan]… I’d say it’s 80%-20% in Arman’s favor. We all know the level of wrestling that Holloway and Charles Oliveira had. It’s practically nonexistent… But a guy who [wrestles], Topuria hasn’t faced that. He’s only fought strikers. I know the UFC is cautious, they don’t want to throw him to Topuria too quickly. Right now, Topuria is a bigger star than Arman. But if Arman gets a big win, where can they hide him? They won’t be able to.
However, Daniel Cormier replied to Khabib that he disagreed with his take:
However, injuries and scheduling setbacks have delayed that opportunity as Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311 due to a back injury, leaving him waiting for his title shot. Until the UFC makes that fight official, grappling tournaments like Pit Submission, ADXC or ACBJJ serve as the perfect outlet to keep him active and fight-ready.
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