Arman Tsarukyan has moved through 2026 like a man with something to prove. The UFC keeps hanging the lightweight belt just out of reach, Dana White keeps hinting at trust issues, and ‘Ahalkalakets’ keeps winning under every imaginable ruleset. If the promotion doesn’t provide him with a clear path, he is essentially creating one for himself.

That’s why his last confession feels so unexpected. The same guy who just bullied a four-time All-American wrestler and made it look easy stated that his career began with so much fear that he almost gave up before it even began. And we’re not talking about pre-fight nerves, but real panic one can face the moment the cage comes into view.

Arman Tsarukyan admits he went pro too early and literally went back to amateur

‘Ahalkalakets’ spoke on Demetrious Johnson‘s Mighty Mouse YouTube channel about his first professional MMA fight and how it affected him differently once it became real. He imagined it would be like a street fight: completely based on fast pace and intuition. But as he came in and saw the cage, his mind changed instantly.

Arman Tsarukyan said, “When I went there and saw the cage, ‘No way I’m gonna fight here. I was scared. I was so scared, and I said, ‘What if I lose? What if someone knocks me out?’ I was scared.” Doubt consumed him before the fight even began. Still, the fear didn’t stop him from fighting.

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“Lucky I took him down, did ground and pound, and won in the first round,” he added. Instead of viewing the win as proof that he belonged at the pro level, ‘Ahalkalakets’ made a decision that seems absurd in modern MMA. He thought he wasn’t ready and needed more experience before jumping right back in, choosing to step backward after already turning professional.

“I went back to amateur,” Arman Tsarukyan said. As expected, Demetrious Johnson couldn’t believe it since it’s a move that’s simply not allowed in America. But that very move ended up shaping everything. Tsarukyan stated that he became a Russian champion, achieved “master of sports” status in MMA, and gained valuable experience.

In fact, it also helped him receive the call that then catapulted him into the UFC spotlight: a short-notice fight with Islam Makhachev. “They needed someone who is gonna fight for Islam before three weeks, and I said, ‘Of course, I’ll fight him,'” he revealed.

And now, that very opponent is sympathizing with Arman Tsarukyan as he waits outside the title picture, still looking for an opportunity. The chance will come, but it will take time as Ilia Topuria aims to be back between April and June to face the winner of this weekend’s headliner to unify the belts, unless Dana White accepts the Armenian’s plea to bring back a long-abandoned format.

Tsarukyan makes a pitch to organize a lightweight Grand Prix

Arman Tsarukyan is having trouble waiting right now. He’s already stayed busy outside of the UFC to maintain momentum, but the title picture moves as if he’s not standing right there. So, rather than pleading for another fight, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has proposed a much more daring solution: bring back a tournament and force the division to settle itself.

Arman Tsarukyan stated on One Night with Steiny that the UFC should revive the Grand Prix format, which pits the best against each other until only one champion stands tall. “I would like to do in the UFC like a Grand Prix,” he said, suggesting a bracket of pure lightweight chaos: eight elite fighters, no politics, stalling, or discussions.

And the key thing for ‘Ahalkalakets’ is accountability. He added, “In the Grand Prix, you get there, eight of the best fighters, and in six weeks, one champion. It doesn’t matter if you get hurt or what happens with you; you’re supposed to fight. If you’re not fighting, you pull out; the next one is coming.” In his world, nobody gets to slow the division down. Either you fight, or you get replaced.