As of September 12, 2026, Arman Tsarukyan’s professional MMA record is 23-3-0, while his UFC-only record is 10-2. ESPN’s fighter profile lists the same 23-3-0 overall mark, and the full fight chronology independently matches that total.
The lightweight has nine wins by KO or TKO, six by submission and eight by decision. His only three professional MMA losses came against Alexander Belikh, Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot. He has never been submitted in professional MMA.
That record is especially relevant now because Tsarukyan is riding a five-fight MMA winning streak and is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026.
Need to know
- Tsarukyan’s professional MMA record is 23-3-0 as of September 12, 2026.
- His UFC record is 10-2.
- His three losses came against Alexander Belikh, Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot.
- He has nine KO/TKO wins, six submission wins and eight decision wins.
- His most recent completed MMA fight was a second-round submission win over Dan Hooker on November 22, 2025.
Arman Tsarukyan profile summary
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Arman Tsarukyan |
| Nickname | Ahalkalakets |
| Date of birth | October 11, 1996 |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Professional MMA record | 23-3-0 |
| UFC record | 10-2 |
| KO/TKO wins | 9 |
| Submission wins | 6 |
| Decision wins | 8 |
| Latest MMA fight | Win over Dan Hooker, November 22, 2025 |
| Next scheduled fight | Mauricio Ruffy, UFC 331, September 19, 2026 |
The record behind the headline
Tsarukyan has fought 26 professional MMA bouts, winning 23 and losing three. His victories are distributed across all three major result types: nine by KO or TKO, six by submission and eight by decision.
His losses are narrower in method. He has been stopped by strikes once and lost twice on the judges’ scorecards. He has no professional MMA submission losses.
The complete Sherdog fight history provides the clearest bout-by-bout chronology, from his 2015 debut through his 2025 win over Dan Hooker.
The overall figure should not be confused with his UFC-only record. Tsarukyan is 10-2 inside the UFC. His other 13 wins and one loss came before he joined the promotion.
That distinction also matters because he has competed in wrestling and grappling outside MMA. Those matches are separate and do not alter the 23-3 professional MMA total.
The three losses that shaped his career
Tsarukyan’s first defeat came very early.
He made his professional debut on September 25, 2015, stopping Shamil Olokhanov by first-round TKO. Less than three months later, on December 12, Alexander Belikh knocked him out with a punch 30 seconds into the opening round.
Tsarukyan later erased some of the sting from that result. In their December 10, 2016 rematch, he submitted Belikh with a first-round guillotine choke at 2:51. It remains the only loss on Tsarukyan’s record that he has directly avenged in professional MMA.
His second defeat came on April 20, 2019, in his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev won by unanimous decision after three rounds.
The third loss came against Mateusz Gamrot on June 25, 2022. Gamrot won by unanimous decision after five rounds. As of September 12, 2026, that remains Tsarukyan’s most recent professional MMA defeat.
| Opponent | Date | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Belikh | December 12, 2015 | KO, Round 1 |
| Islam Makhachev | April 20, 2019 | Unanimous decision |
| Mateusz Gamrot | June 25, 2022 | Unanimous decision |
Building a UFC contender’s record
After the Makhachev loss, Tsarukyan put together five consecutive UFC victories.
He beat Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision in July 2019, then followed with decision wins over Davi Ramos and Matt Frevola. He next stopped Christos Giagos and Joel Alvarez, showing that his UFC success was not limited to going the distance.
The five-round loss to Gamrot interrupted that run, but Tsarukyan’s response has defined the current phase of his career.
He returned in December 2022 with a unanimous-decision win over Damir Ismagulov. In June 2023, he stopped Joaquim Silva in the third round.
Then came three victories that pushed his record further into title-contender territory.
In December 2023, Tsarukyan knocked out Beneil Dariush just 1:04 into the first round. The finish added one of the clearest statement wins of his UFC career.
At UFC 300 on April 13, 2024, he defeated Charles Oliveira by split decision. The fight went all three rounds.
His next completed MMA bout came against Dan Hooker on November 22, 2025. Tsarukyan won by arm-triangle choke at 3:34 of Round 2, extending his professional record to 23-3. ESPN’s current fight history also identifies Hooker as his latest completed MMA opponent.
The missed title opportunity
Tsarukyan pulled out of a championship opportunity at UFC 311.
The fight did not happen.
Because the bout did not happen, it had no effect on his official record.
The Hooker win therefore mattered for more than the number it added to his record. It restored Tsarukyan to active MMA competition and extended his winning streak to five.
From hockey to combat sports
Tsarukyan was born on October 11, 1996.
Tsarukyan has also competed in freestyle wrestling outside MMA.
Those wrestling matches are separate from his professional MMA record.
That background helps explain the breadth of his record. His 23 wins are not dominated by a single method: he has finished opponents with strikes, submitted others and won eight times on the scorecards.
Current status and next fight
As of September 12, 2026, Tsarukyan is ranked No. 2 in the UFC lightweight division and remains on a five-fight MMA winning streak.
He is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026 in Los Angeles. Ruffy enters the matchup with a 14-2 professional record.
The timing makes Tsarukyan’s record particularly changeable. If the fight takes place, his overall 23-3 mark, his latest-opponent status and potentially his position in the division will need to be updated immediately afterward.
For now, his most recent completed MMA result remains the submission of Dan Hooker in November 2025. Any later wrestling or grappling appearances should be treated separately from his MMA record.
Conclusion
Tsarukyan’s 23-3 professional MMA record is built around three distinct setbacks: an early knockout loss he later avenged, a UFC debut defeat to Makhachev, and a five-round decision loss to Gamrot. Since that 2022 defeat, he has won five straight MMA fights, including victories over Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker.
That progression is what gives the record its context. The number is not simply 23 wins against three losses; it charts Tsarukyan’s movement from regional prospect to established UFC lightweight contender, with UFC 331 against Mauricio Ruffy scheduled as the next test.
