The buildup to Arman Tsarukyan vs. Sharaputdin Magomedov has broken all the rules of the usual fight-week playbook. There has been no trash talk or big declarations about how this battle will define their careers. Instead, the hype surrounding this submission-only contest has come from quite an unexpected source.

As the Hype Armenia event on December 30 approaches, neither guy has attempted to “sell” the fight in the way fans have come to expect. Instead, they let their action speak louder than words. Literally! As both UFC elites decided to take the concept of “training to the limit” to extremes, one can only imagine.

Arman Tsarukyan and Sharaputdin Magomedov’s bizarre training routine

Instead of hitting the gym or having sparring sessions on mats, both men chose spectacle. Arman Tsarukyan shared a clip of him grappling on skates in the middle of a frozen lake, balancing power and leverage, with one mistake sending him falling onto the ice. The footage surely looks unpleasant by design, but stability remains a core part of the drill.

Rather than going all out in the gym, Arman Tsarukyan and ‘Shara Bullet’ chose the spectacle path. Taking to his social media, ‘Ahalkalakets’ shared a video of himself grappling on skates in the middle of a frozen lake, trying to maintain balance, power, and leverage while knowing that one false move would send him crashing into the ice, turning him from Walmart Bruce Wayne to a human popsicle. The drill surely appears brutal, but it will surely help his control and stability, even if not in the safest way possible.

Sharaputdin Magomedov, never one to be outdone, replied with something equally unconventional. The internet got to see videos of him practicing takedowns on trees, and as a testament to his strength, he literally knocked them down as if they were live opponents. It sounds ludicrous on paper, but the motive was clear. When your opponent refuses to provide you with balance or resistance, you find a way to create it on your own. That contrast fits this pairing perfectly.

‘Ahalkalakets’ is a lightweight whose entire career has been based on control, constant pressure, chain wrestling, and doing it all against top-tier opponents. On the opposite side is “Shara Bullet,” a much bigger middleweight known for sheer brutality rather than patience. He’s entering entirely unknown terrain by signing up for a grappling-only battle, which only adds to the intrigue of this matchup.

But what we do know is that since this isn’t about belts or rankings, and as the Armenian’s delayed UFC title shot looms in the background, Arman Tsarukyan definitely isn’t using this fight as a warm-up. Magomedov, still early in his UFC run, isn’t approaching it as a novelty act either. The size difference alone throws the logical narrative out the window. One guy is quick and experienced, while the other is massive and ridiculously strong.

With submission-only rules, there are no excuses. There are no strikes, judges, or clocks to bail you out. Maybe that’s why their training looks so wild. When everything is stripped away, all that remains is balance, the ability to stay calm, and trusting your intuition. The icy lakes and tree drills aren’t just for show; they represent how both guys expect this battle to feel.

By the time they go onto the mats, the strangest aspect will not be the rules or the environment. It will be how clearly both fighters have already told the story without saying a single word. And if ‘Ahalkalakets’ grabs another win, there would be no denying that he is the best lightweight in the world right now. In fact, he has already declared himself a UFC champion.

Tsarukyan views himself as the UFC champion

Arman Tsarukyan’s training clips demonstrate a quiet confidence that extends beyond grappling experiments or staying sharp outside the Octagon. It depicts how he now sees his place in the lightweight division. While others wait for announcements and positions, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has acted as if the outcome has already been determined. The belt, in his opinion, represents delayed paperwork, not an unanswered question.

That belief was expressed publicly when he discussed the current title predicament. With an interim bout scheduled elsewhere and Ilia Topuria sidelined, the Armenian made it clear that he does not view himself as chasing anything. “Number 1 next to my name for a reason. The belt is just a formality at this point,” he wrote on his social media.

It read like someone stating a conclusion that he believes has already been reached by performance rather than favors. The UFC definitely does not see it that way. Dana White has been very clear: ‘Ahalkalakets’ must earn his way back after failing to appear in his only title shot.

That disconnect explains a lot about Arman Tsarukyan’s jump in activities right now, including why he’s constantly participating in grappling contests, how the Armenian is getting his name out there, and why this submission-only fight isn’t just a fun side project. Until the door opens again, ‘Ahalkalakets’ moves as if recognition is optional, but domination isn’t.