Tsarukyan To Face Indian Fitness Influencer

Arman Tsarukyan will face Indian fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria in a submission-only grappling match in Armenia this Saturday in Hype Fighting.

The matchup itself is not a competitive MMA contest in the traditional sense. Baiyanpuria is a fitness personality rather than a professional combat sports athlete, which makes the event more exhibition than ranking-relevant. But Tsarukyan has shown throughout this period that staying on the mat matters to him regardless of the format or the stakes attached.

His UFC record since 2024 reflects how much ground he has covered. He beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April of that year in a performance that announced him as the division's most serious contender. A 17-month layoff followed before he returned last November to dismantle Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Qatar. Since then, silence from the promotion on what comes next.

Tsarukyan has fought eight times for RAF, going 7-1 across those appearances. The lone defeat came earlier this month against Colby Covington at RAF 11, where he dropped a points decision for the cruiserweight crossover title.

Islam Makhachev currently holds the welterweight title after his win over Jack Della Maddalena and has a UFC 330 defense against Ian Machado Garry on the horizon. The lightweight title picture has been cloudier since Makhachev moved up.

Tsarukyan has responded to the waiting by refusing to wait. Eight RAF appearances, a grappling match in his home country this weekend, and presumably more to follow until the UFC confirms a direction.