Arman Tsarukyan set to face 16-1 UFC middleweight after shock title shot snub

Arman Tsarukyan’s next matchup has come out of nowhere.

The Armenian fighter has had a frustrating time as of late, as he has failed to convince the UFC that he should be next in line to challenge for the lightweight title.

After Tsarukyan submitted Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, he soon found out that he had been ignored in favor of UFC 324 headliners Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, who will compete for an interim belt due to Ilia Topuria’s hiatus.

The No. 1-ranked contender was understandably irate at the UFC’s decision, but he won’t be moping around feeling hard done by. Instead, Tsarukyan plans to stay busy, even if that means fighting away from the Octagon.

Arman Tsarukyan set for grappling match against UFC middleweight Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov

Tsarukyan outlined his plan after the UFC’s snub, revealing that he will remain active with grappling matches like he did during the lengthy gap between his victories over Charles Oliveira and Hooker.

Following a decision win over PFL fighter Makkasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 this past May, Tsarukyan submitted Patricky Pitbull later that month at ADXC 10. That winning form on the mats continued in September at ACBJJ 18, where Tsarukyan submitted MMA legend Benson Henderson.

Per Red Corner MMA, the Armenian star will now look to notch a fourth grappling match victory of this calendar year when he faces 16-1 UFC middleweight Shara Magomedov under the Hype FC banner on December 30.

‘Bullet’ has won five of his six Octagon appearances to date. The Dagestani is known for his striking and showcased his innovative attacks on the feet by knocking out Armen Petrosyan with a double spinning backfist last year.

He will now look to show a different element of his game by being competitive against an extremely talented grappler in Tsarukyan. Their match will be contested at 185 pounds and a winner can only be crowned if there is a submission.

That match will take place in the lightweight contender’s home country, as he looks to conclude his year in a more positive way than the recent UFC announcement suggested he would.

Fans predict domination in Arman Tsarukyan vs Shara Magomedov grappling match

Despite the size disparity, it would seem that not many are expecting middleweight Magomedov to stand a chance against lightweight Tsarukyan.

A number of fans reacted to the surprising news of the pair’s grappling match at the end of December, and the majority of early predictions went the way of the Armenian star.

“Arman might actually destroy Shara.”

“We know how it will go, but good for ‘Bullet’ taking the chance.”

“Tsarukyan steamrolls him here.”

“Arman’s gonna submit him.”

“Crazy how the lightweight is going to absolutely ragdoll and destroy the middleweight.”