Arman Tsarukyan: millionaire, friend of Putin... and rival of Topuria?

The majority of fighters come from poverty, crime or deeply painful pasts. MMA is often the way out. That’s not the case for Arman Tsarukyan, the Armenian-Georgian lightweight who grew up in Jabárovsk, Russia, without ever facing hardship. His father, a wealthy real-estate entrepreneur, ensured he never lacked for anything. This Saturday at 10:00 a.m. ET on MAX, he aims to earn a title shot in UFC Qatar when he faces Dan Hooker.

Tsarukyan was born in Georgia, but his Armenian parents moved to Jabárovsk, a Russian city roughly 15 miles from the Chinese border. His father, Nairi, is a major construction executive. From the age of 11, Arman helped him out and made about $6 per hour. “I worked three months with him and told him, ‘I can’t keep doing this. I want to focus on sports. This job is brutal,’” he told ESPN. Years later, he and his brother opened an internet café in Krasnodar, investing about $153,000.

Luxury cars, private-jet trips and dream vacations fill Tsarukyan’s social media, along with training footage and fight clips. “My family’s success allowed me to train full-time. I only have to focus on my sport and that’s it,” he said. He started out in hockey before realizing MMA was his passion. He trained in sambo, wrestling and eventually grappling. At 18, in September 2015, he made his pro debut and eventually reached the UFC, where a short-notice debut against Islam Makhachev handed him the second loss of his career.

“I grew up playing sports, eating healthy and going to bed early, but in that business I worked three months with a horrible schedule, from two to six in the morning. Better to stay in sports than in big business.” Tsarukyan now lives in the United States, where he spends about $10,000 a month. “People are jealous of me, you know? Because I have money… I’m not super rich, but I can live well, I can do whatever I want in this life. I can buy whatever I want,” he said.

Chasing Topuria

In January, Tsarukyan was set for his rematch with Makhachev, this time for the lightweight belt. One day before the fight, he withdrew because of a back injury and had to be replaced at the last minute. It cost him dearly: despite repeatedly calling out Ilia Topuria, he will now need to win a title eliminator to earn another shot.

“I have more skills than him. Especially my kicking game and my wrestling,” Tsarukyan said at the UFC Qatar press conference. After Makhachev moved up to welterweight, he reclaimed the No. 1 lightweight ranking. With a strong performance this Saturday, he could easily be next in line for Ilia.

Friendly with Putin

Tsarukyan won Sambo-70, a tournament held in honor of Vladimir Putin, which helped build a close connection with the Russian president. Once, when traffic police stopped him in Russia, he showed them a photo with Putin and was waved through. In Spain, he’s known for ending Joel Álvarez’s five-fight winning streak in a bout where the fighter from Asturias left injured.

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