Arman Tsarukyan shuts out Dillon Danis, calls out GSP
The UFC lightweight blanked the Marcelo Garcia black belt in Las Vegas and said he would like to wrestle Georges St-Pierre
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan beat Dillon Danis by 10-0 technical fall in the first period of the RAF 14 main event on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. The win gave him the inaugural Real American Freestyle middleweight crossover title. At the post-fight press conference, he was already asking for a bigger name: Georges St-Pierre.
How Tsarukyan beat Dillon Danis
Tsarukyan got on the board with a step-out, then scored the first takedown. A second takedown and a series of turns pushed the score to 10, and the referee stopped the match without a second period. Tsarukyan finished with two takedowns; Danis had none.
Tension had been building since Thursday, when the press conference turned into a brawl. After the whistle, Tsarukyan stepped on Danis as he tried to get up, and security rushed in between them. The two shook hands before the result was announced.
It was Danis’ third loss in three RAF matches, after defeats to Colby Covington in March and Khamzat Chimaev in June. Tsarukyan improved to 8-1 in the league, and his only loss also came against Covington, in July.
A Marcelo Garcia black belt on the wrestling mat
Long before his social media fame, Danis made his name in jiu-jitsu. He earned his black belt from Marcelo Garcia in 2015, won the IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championship at black belt in 2016 and competed at ADCC 2017, where he lost to Gordon Ryan. In MMA, he went 2-0 in Bellator, with both wins by submission.
Under RAF rules, which follow freestyle wrestling, there are no submissions. Points come from takedowns, turns and step-outs, so his grappling résumé offered little help against one of the best wrestlers in the UFC lightweight division. UFC fighters have become regulars on these cards: Brendan Allen was also on the RAF 14 lineup.
Tsarukyan’s call for Georges St-Pierre
“I wanna collect all the big names, all the best fighters,” Tsarukyan said at the press conference. Then he brought up the Canadian legend: “I would like to wrestle him.”
St-Pierre has been retired since February 2019, with a 26-2 MMA record. In his last fight, in November 2017, he submitted Michael Bisping with a rear-naked choke at UFC 217 to win the middleweight title. A jiu-jitsu black belt since 2008, promoted by Bruno Fernandes, he spent years training with members of Canada’s national wrestling team. RAF has not announced any deal with him.
Next up: Neiman Gracie in Abu Dhabi
Before any GSP talk, Tsarukyan already has a date. On Nov. 14, he faces Neiman Gracie at RAF Abu Dhabi, at Etihad Arena, in a catchweight crossover match, as VF Comunica reported when the bout was announced. Chimaev vs. Covington headlines the card.
Tsarukyan is still busy in MMA, too. In September, at UFC 331, he knocked out Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy with elbows in the first round.
Would Tsarukyan stand a chance against Georges St-Pierre on the wrestling mat? And can Neiman Gracie give him trouble in Abu Dhabi? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Read more:
- Neiman Gracie faces Tsarukyan at RAF Abu Dhabi
- Charles Oliveira says UFC won’t let him compete in jiu-jitsu
- Brendan Allen submits Duncan with a rear-naked choke at UFC Las Vegas
