Arman Tsarukyan was supposed to be honing his skills outside of the UFC. Staying active and maintaining visibility with an undeniable presence. Instead, his most recent RAF Wrestling outing in Arizona resulted in the same type of chaos that has followed him around.

On paper, it looked simple. ‘Ahalkalakets’ defeated Georgio Poullas 5-3 in a gritty contest. But before the referee could even fully settle the result, the Armenian mounted the YouTuber and delivered a punch and a knee. Corners emptied as Colby Covington had to jump in; Chael Sonnen and Kurt Angle watched it unfold in disbelief, and the conversation quickly shifted from whether Arman Tsarukyan deserved a title opportunity to whether he just pushed it further away.

Title talk gets messy after Arman Tsarukyan’s RAF scuffle

The match itself had already been tense. Georgio Poullas, a decorated high school champion, didn’t wrestle clean in the eyes of many viewers. The hand-fighting turned into open-handed slaps and face shoves that felt more like irritation tactics than set-ups.

There were rumors about a possible disqualification at one point. However, Arman Tsarukyan won the fight. Then he lost control. That’s where fans split, and the anti-Arman camp surely did not hold back.

“And this r—– wonders why he’s not getting a title shot? Lmfaooo taken down by a YouTuber and crashed out over it,” one user commented. Another dreaded the timing: “Arman is not getting a title shot in another organization.”

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The harshest summary of all: “Just undid 6 months of PR to prove the UFC right… absolute hothead.” One fan reduced it down to the root cause: “These are the things that harm Arman; his temper is too volatile.”

However, there was another side. “Not saying Arman was right by doing this because he should’ve walked away, BUT Georgio smacked, poked, and twisted fingers in an exhibition match after talking s—,” wrote a fan.

Another chuckled at the mismatch: “Georgio being an absolute idiot trying to smack up a UFC fighter while having zero fighting experience is hilarious.” Some believed Poullas was over the line: “The D1 roided tf out wrestler who kept slapping Arman deserved it.”

More blunt words followed: “The roid rager is the one who threw illegal shots.” Another added, “Georgio came out trying to hit little Arman and slapping his head, and then started losing lmao.” That gray area is crucial here.

Hand fighting, while technically legal, doesn’t always feel clean. Slaps, stalling, and post-whistle tension all looked like provocative behavior. But here’s the issue: Dana White has already stated that Arman Tsarukyan’s previous antics cost him an interim championship shot.

The headbutt to Dan Hooker at weigh-ins and the altercation with a fan at UFC 300 show a concerning pattern. Now the debate is back. Is Arman Tsarukyan unfairly judged? Is this why the UFC keeps him waiting? The talent is undeniable. The temper, apparently, still is too. So, what’s next for ‘Ahalkalakets’? A fight against Mikey Musumeci surely seems to be the next option.

Tsarukyan accepts Mikey Musumeci’s grappling callout

If the UFC door isn’t swinging open right now, especially after the RAF brawl, Arman Tsarukyan isn’t about to sit around and wait. The lightweight contender has chosen a different route, staying active in grappling and forcing relevance through competition. And now, that path may lead to one of the most dangerous submission specialists alive.

After taking issue with the Armenian casually throwing out grappling challenges online, the reigning UFC BJJ champion called him out directly. Being the active warrior that he is, ‘Ahalkalakets’ didn’t hesitate either.

“Tell your boss to send me a contract,” Arman Tsarukyan wrote on social media.

“Bratha I have to check your grappling,” Mikey Musumeci responded. “We both have the same boss, Hunter Campbell. And we both agree now, great, so let’s do it! @ufcbjj”

It’s hardly an easy matchup. Musumeci is a four-time world champion and one of the most accomplished submission grapplers alive today. However, Arman Tsarukyan has quietly built a formidable grappling resume over the past year.

‘Ahalkalakets’ went undefeated in five matches in 2025, defeating Lance Palmer, Patricky Pitbull, Benson Henderson, and others, with only a draw against Shara Magomedov breaking the trend.

If the UFC isn’t giving him gold right now, he seems desperate to show something else—even if that means stepping into the pure grappling fire against ‘Darth Rigatoni.’