SUMMARY
- Arman Tsarukyan is one of the most prominent names in the lightweight division of the UFC
- UFC fighters have meaningful monikers and Tsarukyan's nickname is related to his birthplace.
Arman Tsarukyan is a UFC lightweight sensation. He has been an athlete since an early stage in his life as he took to freestyle wrestling and hockey. Tsarukyan even played for the junior team of Hockey Club Amur. However, due to family matters, he had to move on from hockey. But, his favored career was awaiting him.
Tsarukyan was born on October 11, 1996, in Akhalkalaki, Georgia. He is nicknamed ‘Akhalkalakets’ and it is reported that the meaning of the nickname relates to his birthplace. Akhalkalaki borders Armenia and Tsarukyan’s parents are Armenian. He has no connection to Dagestan, Russia. Although some reports suggest that Tsarukyan is Russian, there are no reports connecting him to Dagestan, specifically.
Tsarukyan represents Armenia and Russia. His father, Nairi Tsarukyan, deals in the construction business. Tsarukyan moved to Russia early in his life with his family which included an elder brother and a younger sister.
He made his professional MMA debut in September 2015 at the age of 19. He won his debut and went on to win 13 out of his first 14 bouts. His 15th fight was against fellow Russian Islam Makhachev at UFC Russia in April 2019. This was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut. He succumbed to a loss against the future UFC Lightweight Champion via unanimous decision.
During an interview with ESPN, Tsarukyan opened up about how he was getting married very close to the Makhachev fight. He also revealed that he and his wife are proud parents of two children. However, Tsarukyan keeps his personal life very private.
Arman Tsarukyan opted for the nickname ‘Tough Guy’ out of many “cool options”
In what appeared to be a contest to select a nickname for the UFC lightweight fighter, Tsarukyan opted for ‘Tough Guy’. It aligned well with his hockey playing time.
In an Instagram post by UFC Russia, the caption read, “Friends, thank you for your help in finding a nickname for Arman Tsarukyan, you offered many cool options!
View this post on Instagram
Arman saw your suggestions and chose the nickname ‘Tough Guy’. Arman used to play hockey, so this nickname suits him perfectly.”
Tsaurkyan chose this nickname in August 2020. However, it has not become as prevalent. He has fought at least twice a year every year since 2021 but ‘Tough Guy’ is still not Tsarukyan’s most used nickname.