Before Arman Tsarukyan walks into the Octagon for his UFC Fight Night 265 main event against Dan Hooker, fans are once again dissecting everything about the #1 lightweight contender, from his family background to his net worth to, surprisingly, his religion. Thanks to the Dagestani fighters, fans tend to expect Russian grapplers to be Muslim fighters. And the same thing happened in the case of Arman Tsarukyan.

‘Ahalkalakets’ was born in Armenia, a country that has a huge Muslim population. This was probably the reason why many people believed him to be Muslim, as well. But contrary to many beliefs, the Armenian-born mixed martial artist is not a Muslim. So, what are Tsarukyan’s religious beliefs? Join us as we find out everything there is to know about the #1 lightweight contender’s faith.

What Religion Does Arman Tsarukyan Follow? Christian Faith Confirmed

With his roots in both Armenia and Georgia, Tsarukyan is a follower of Christianity. Yes, his nation does have a massive Christian population. This is indeed a common factor that has the fighting community confused about Tsarukyan’s religious beliefs. But Tsarukyan wasn’t alone. Even he was misled by a country’s general population when he tried to guess Ariel Helwani’s religion. 

During a conversation with the famed MMA reporter back in June 2024, Arman Tsarukyan compared the reporter’s hairstyle with that of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Except that ‘The Eagle’ shaved his moustache, while Helwani kept it intact. Helwani revealed that his mother was from Lebanon and his father was from Egypt. This made the #1 lightweight contender believe that the journalist was a Muslim. But Helwani cleared the air out and revealed that he was, in fact, Jewish. 

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After explaining how he was a Jewish man, Helwani asked, “You’re Christian, right?” And ‘Ahalkalakets’ came forth with an affirmation. That was the moment when many of us got to know about Tsarukyan’s religious inclinations.

Why Do People Think Arman Tsarukyan Is Muslim? Name Confusion & Misconceptions

The confusion starts with stereotypes. As we mentioned earlier, many top fighters from Russia, Georgia, and neighboring regions, especially grapplers, tend to be Muslim. Add to that Arman Tsarukyan’s name, accent, and fighting style, and fans automatically group him with athletes from Dagestan or Chechnya.

There’s also a geographical misunderstanding. While Tsarukyan has Armenian roots, and Armenia is a predominantly Christian nation, fans sometimes conflate Armenia with nearby Muslim-majority areas. That leads many to assume Tsarukyan is Muslim by association. 

But the biggest twist in this story is that even his own coach didn’t know the truth for years! And Tsarukyan let the confusion continue on purpose, which brings us to the funniest part of this entire narrative.

Arman Tsarukyan’s 2-Year Prank: How He Fooled His Coach About Being Muslim

The Armenian fighter’s coach didn’t know that Tsarukyan wasn’t a Muslim for 2 whole years! Call it the longest prank, will you? Well, they did share a bit of laughter over that. In an interview with Adam Zuba, the lightweight contender said, “It’s been about two years and I say coach, I’m not a Muslim. And he says ‘how is not a Muslim? And why did Maga always say that?’ I say yeah he’s messing with me on purpose.”

As such, Arman Tsarukyan’s faith has become one of the most misunderstood parts of his identity, not because he hides it, but because the assumptions around him are louder than the truth. A Christian raised between Armenia and Georgia, he has watched fans, reporters, and even his own coach guess incorrectly for years, and sometimes he even played along. But beneath the jokes and the confusion is a simple reality: Tsarukyan’s beliefs don’t define the way he fights, yet they shape the person he is outside the Octagon.