Arman Tsarukyan signs on to face highly rated lightweight from outside the UFC

Tsarukyan’s upcoming grappling match with UFC middleweight Shara Magomedov is set for December 30 under the Hype FC banner.

That matchup, which features an opponent better known for his stand-up game, follows closely on the heels of another bout that is likely to offer a tougher challenge for the Armenian fighter.

Announced this Thursday, Tsarukyan will step back into action even sooner than fans expected. Following his recent submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, he will compete again less than a month later at the Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu event on December 17.

This time, he will face Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov (22-2), one of the top lightweights outside the UFC. The Chechen fighter is the reigning 155-pound champion in Absolute Championship Akhmat and enters the match riding a seven-fight winning streak.

Though Magomedov is not known for his submission skills, Abdulvakhabov brings more experience to the table with six submission wins from 22 professional fights.

If Tsarukyan manages to get past both opponents in quick succession, it would add to an already strong year that includes grappling wins over PFL’s Makkasharip Zaynukov, former Bellator champion Patricky Pitbull, and MMA veteran Benson Henderson.

Dana White addresses his relationship with Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan’s absence from the lightweight title scene, a move that frustrated both the top-ranked contender and many fans, led some to wonder if the UFC brass held anything against him.

But Dana White pushed back on that idea in a recent chat with The Mac Life.

“You know what I didn’t do? We haven’t cut him, we’re not sideways with him, we don’t dislike him.”

From White’s perspective, it appears Tsarukyan still has ground to cover after pulling out of the UFC 311 main event.