Retirement in combat sports is rarely clean. On the surface, everything appears to be normal, but the itch persists. That tension has accompanied Dustin Poirier since he hung up his gloves last summer, ending two decades of habit, sacrifice, and identity formed around fighting.

At the same time, frustration has grown elsewhere in the lightweight division. Arman Tsarukyan, widely regarded as the most deserving title contender, has been left waiting. After being denied an interim shot and pushed back by the UFC’s decision-makers, he has chosen an unusual outlet while the division moves on without him. That’s where two very different career moments quietly begin to intersect.

Dustin Poirier and Arman Tsarukyan set to explore a different kind of fight

According to reports, Dustin Poirier and Arman Tsarukyan are in talks for a grappling match in February. For ‘Ahalkalakets,’ this fits a clear pattern. With his title path obstructed and Dana White insisting he must “re-earn” his opportunity, the Armenian has been active outside the cage rather than sitting passively.

Arman Tsarukyan has leaned fully into grappling, but the UFC picture remains frozen. After defeating Mehdi Baydulaev in Moscow, he drew with Shara Magomedov in a highly anticipated Hype FC bout. The size gap made it awkward, but the technical exchanges made it interesting, and the desire for more has not subsided.

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Now, on January 10, ‘Ahalkalakets’ will wrestle former PFL champion Lance Palmer, solidifying his parallel run. For Dustin Poirier, the motivation is different. Since retiring following his loss to Max Holloway, ‘The Diamond’ has been open about how difficult the change has been.

When asked by fans how much he misses the sport, he did not mince words. He wrote, “Everyday, the moment my eyes open, I’ve done it for two decades, dedicated my life to it…. A part of me has died.” So, a grappling match provides him with something manageable. No weight cuts, no damage-heavy camps, and no pressure to win a belt. Just competition, which ‘The Diamond’ admits he still craves.

And despite his reputation as a striker, his career tells a fuller story. Grappling has always been a part of his foundation, from his body-triangle win over Anthony Pettis to multiple other submission finishes over elite opponents throughout his career.

If the negotiations succeed, the fight will not settle rankings or title debates. But it does make sense. One fighter is waiting to be reintroduced into the UFC’s plans. Another is attempting to fill the void left behind by stepping away. But while this is one dream match fans would love to see come to life, there was another possible bout that got away.

Tsarukyan could have collided with a leading Hollywood star

That sense of missed opportunity adds another layer to Arman Tsarukyan’s unusual stretch outside the UFC. While grappling has kept him active, not every possible matchup involved rankings or even elite MMA opponents. In fact, one of the more bizarre proposals offered would have pulled him away from the regular fight-world conversations altogether.

Before his six-minute draw with Shara Magomedov at a Hype FC event, the promotion looked into a drastically different opponent for Arman Tsarukyan. According to Hype FC, they approached Tom Hardy about a grappling fight on the same date, December 30. Hardy, a longtime jiu-jitsu practitioner who has previously competed in tournaments, was apparently interested but was unable to participate due to filming commitments.

Hype FC later revealed that the ‘Venom’ star thanked them for an offer that was higher than most professional grapplers’ salaries, but his schedule through March made it impossible. The matchup never happened, but the idea speaks volumes.

Arman Tsarukyan isn’t just filling time; he’s becoming a crossover attraction as the UFC puts him in limbo. And, in a sport where momentum is important, even fights that do not occur can reflect how much attention a fighter is quietly attracting outside the cage.