Arman Tsarukyan

ANALYSIS
Back at UFC 300, while walking to the octagon for his scheduled fight and eventual win against Charles Oliveira, Tsarukyan got into an altercation with a fan, resulting in his recent fine and suspension. He can get the latter reduced to six months if willing to produce a video for an anti-bullying campaign. The suspension puts into question how long it will take for Tsarukyan to get his shot at UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, who recently defended his championship against Dustin Poirier.

ANALYSIS
There were some extremely hairy moments along the way, but it was another standout performance from Tsarukyan against a guy that has been among the best the lightweight division has to offer for seemingly ever. Arman was in control for nearly the entire fight. He used his grappling game to ground Charles and dominated from top position, landing some crushing elbows. That's the good news. The bad news was that Tsarukyan had to survive a pair of extremely deep choke attempts, including a guillotine in the opening moments of the bout that would have easily finished any mere mortal. Instead, Tsarukyan earns his fourth straight victory and ninth in his last ten bouts. A rematch with UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev -- who took a unanimous decision from Arman in his UFC debut back in April 2019 -- could be in play later in 2024, though Dana White did announce after the fight that Makhachev's next opponent would be Dustin Poirier.

ANALYSIS
Tsarukyan has won eight of his last nine fights (even the loss was a questionable decision), most recently finishing an elite contender in Beneil Dariush in the first round. That led many to believe Tsarukyan was closing in on a title shot, and that will in fact be the case with this No. 1 contender matchup on the UFC's biggest stage. Should Tsarukyan prevail, a date with Islam Makhachev in late-2024 will be in the cards. He'll first have to get through Oliveira, a far more experienced fighter who will hold height and reach advantages in the cage. Both men sport similar striking numbers, with Tsarukyan a tad better on the defensive side. Tsarukyan also has far batter offensive wrestling numbers, but considering Oliveira is always a submission threat, even off his back, it wouldn't be surprising if this skill isn't utilized as much as usual.

ANALYSIS
Well, that was terrifying. Many thought Tsarukyan was being overpriced as a -300 favorite against a highly-respected veteran, but it proved to be nowhere near a high enough price tag. Arman fired off a knee up the middle that came so fast you had to look at the replay after to see that it didn't actually land. The right hook afterwards, however, did connect and put Dariush out. The finish would go on to earn Tsarukyan a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, one of 10 post-fight bonuses given out on the evening. It all happened so quickly we didn't even get to see any of Tsarukyan's elite wrestling game. At 27 years of age, this guy is a real problem. It may take one more win because of how loaded the lightweight division is, but there's easily a scenario in which Tsarukyan fights for UFC gold at some point in 2024. Buckle up.

ANALYSIS
Tsarukyan has won both of his last two fights dating back to December 2022, and he'll now face an opponent in Dariush who recently had an eight-bout win streak snapped at UFC 289.