‘Only a Lucky Punch’: Arman Tsarukyan Reveals How He Could Beat Prime Khabib Nurmagomedov

‘The Eagle’ retired from the UFC with a 29-0 record after his third lightweight title defense. Arguably, the Dagestani looked invincible with his strong grappling and fierce in ring confidence throughout his career. 

Even Arman Tsarukyan admitted being a fan of the UFC Hall of Famer. However, Tsarukyan believes he is more rounded than Khabib and can beat him in a hypothetical fight via decision. But in a recent interview, the Armenian star came out with a different outcome.   

Arman Tsarukyan Reveals Only Way to Beat Prime Khabib Nurmagomedov 

When asked about a realistic path to beating the former lightweight champion on a Russian YouTube channel, Tsarukyan didn’t hesitate. 

"If I hit him by accident, I could knock him out. You never know. I would hit him with a lucky punch," he said. When pushed on whether a lucky punch is really the only way, he doubled down. "Yes. Or he would have passed, fallen down, broken his arm, and couldn't continue the fight. Anything is possible in this life," Tsarukyan said.  

He provided an analogy by pointing out the unpredictable nature of the sport by citing the recent Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van fight. "The same thing happened to Pantoja. He fought for 10 seconds, fell down, broke his arm, and couldn't continue the fight. And that man became a champion. As if it was a lucky punch. You never know what will happen. You have to be confident in your victory."

Tsarukyan appears to be using a healthy and calculated parallel here to sell himself before one of his most important fights of his career next month. 

Arman Tsarukyan’s Next Fight

The 29-year-old is scheduled to face the Brazilian star Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331. The event will take place in Los Angeles, California, on September 19th. 

Tsarukyan has long sought a championship bout opportunity. He also earned it in 2025 against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 but withdrew due to a back injury. 

Nonetheless, he has a golden opportunity now, as this bout will undoubtedly serve as a championship eliminator for the division, with the winner facing Justin Gaethje for the ultimate gold.