Arman Tsarukyan is back! Unfortunately, it won’t be inside the Octagon.
In January, ‘Ahalkalakets’ was scheduled to challenge reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in his first-ever pay-per-view headliner. However, Tsarukyan bowed out of the bout a mere 36 hours before the fight, feigning a back injury. Instead, Renato Moicano was promoted from main card to the main main, challenging the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ on super-short notice.
As for Tsarukyan, he was essentially relegated to the back of the line, with Dana White revealing that the Armenian would have to go “back to the drawing board” if he hopes to earn another title opportunity.
Tsarukyan has not yet booked a return to the Octagon, but fans will have the chance to see him in action this Friday night, May 2, as part of Karate Combat 54 in Dubai. As reported by Ariel Helwani, Tsarukyan will compete in a Pit Submission Series contest against fellow MMA fighter and teammate of Islam Makhachev, Makkasharip Zaynukov.
Joining Tsarukyan at KC54 will be two former UFC standouts
Also featuring on the card will be former UFC fighters Muhammad Mokaev and ‘Smilin’ Sam Alvey, who defends his Karate Combat heavyweight championship against Tyrone Spong in the evening’s main event.
You can check out the full Karate Combat 54 card below:
Main Card
- Heavyweight World Championship: Sam Alvey (USA) vs Tyrone Spong (Suriname)
- Bantamweight Bout: Muhammad Mokaev (UK) vs Bolat Zamanbekov (Kazakhstan)
- 200lbs Catchweight Bout: Jayden Eynaud (Australia) vs Kiamrian Abbasov (Kyrgyzstan)
- Bantamweight Bout: Ali Zarinfar (Iran) vs Adam Noi (France)
- 170lbs Catchweight Bout: Oussama Assli (Morocco) vs Naimov Firdavshon (Tajikistan)
Prelims
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Ali Aliev (Russia) vs Mohamad Osseili (Lebanon)
- 170lbs Catchweight Bout: Saifullakh Khambakhadov (Russia) vs Hossein Mollamadi (Iran)
- Lightweight Bout: Sajad Sattari (Iran) vs Mo Abdurahman (UK)
- Heavyweight Bout: Sergey Veselkin (Russia) vs Bruno Chaves (Brazil)
- Lightweight Bout: Abdullah Chandio (Pakistan) vs TBD
- W Strawweight Bout: Li Lishan (China) vs Asha Roka (India)
- Welterweight Bout: Roslan Bendania (Tunisia) vs Amro Abdeen (Egypt)
- Catchweight Bout: Brandon Jensen (USA) vs Davud Tirmizi (UK)
