Arman Nairovich Tsarukyan (Armenian: Արման Նաիրիի Ծառուկյան; born October 11, 1996) is an Armenian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of April 16, 2024, he is #1 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Background
Tsarukyan was born into an Armenian family living in a small town in Georgia, near the Armenian border. Arman's father, Nairi Tsarukyan, is a businessman, engaged in the construction business. Arman is the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. The family moved to Russia when Arman was three years old to pursue better opportunities in life.
In his youth, Tsarukyan had multiple sporting interests. He started freestyle wrestling and fared well in the sport, but got interested in ice hockey later and continued playing it for ten years. He even used to play for the junior team of Hockey Club Amur. However, when Arman was approaching adulthood, he was forced to stop hockey in order to aid his father working in construction.