Arman Tsarukyan didn’t just win at RAF07; he made a statement. Following a composed performance against Georgio Poullas, the lightweight contender immediately focused on unfinished business, calling out former training partner Colby Covington and demanding a duel on the mats.

“There’s one bulls— guy,” he said in the post-fight interview. “He wrestled me in the gym, but I never see him in the gym. Colby Covington, stop trash talking; let me beat your a–.”

But, if the matchmakers are not convinced, out came the biggest endorsement of all.

Backstage, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle spoke candidly about the possible matchup. While appreciating Colby Covington’s wrestling, the WWE Hall of Famer made sure that the fans at home knew that Arman Tsarukyan’s meteoric rise on the mats isn’t a fluke either.

Despite not being from a traditional wrestling background, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has quickly adapted, displaying technique and composure beyond expectations.

“Well, Colby Covington is a very tough wrestler,” he told The Schmo. “I think Arman Tsarukyan, he didn’t wrestle; he only wrestled when he was a kid.

“He only did it to help his MMA skill, so it’s incredible to see him do this well, knowing that he has very little wrestling experience.”

He even went so far as to say that Arman Tsarukyan could hold his own in Olympic-level wrestling, a bold prediction that shows how highly he rates his skill.

“I think it’s going to be a very close match,” he added. “I’m not going to say that Colby Covington is going to dominate. I think it’s going to be a very close match.

“Arman Tsarukyan is the real deal. He could literally go into Olympic wrestling right now and do really well.”

If their assessment is accurate, this isn’t simply another crossover fight. It’s a clash of two very different wrestling journeys—one built through years of traditional competition, the other sharpened through MMA—and that difference is exactly what could make it must-watch.

It is worth noting that the tension isn’t one-sided, either. ‘Chaos’ has previously claimed that he used to dominate Arman Tsarukyan in training, adding fuel to a matchup that already feels inevitable.

“I want to wrestle Tsarukyan,” Colby Covington told Ariel Helwani. “That’s a guy I used to beat up all the time at ATT (American Top Team)— a little understudy who came to train just to get beaten by me in the gym.

“He’s someone I want to expose to the world and take down on the RAF mats, but the UFC is blocking that right now.”

With both fighters now competing in Real American Freestyle, the stage is set for a showdown that combines personal history and competitive stakes. But before ‘Ahalkalakets’ could get the chance to go one-on-one with ‘Chaos,’ he will have to go through another test, and this one is more of a mental challenge than physical, since the matchup is more in favor of his opponent than his.

Arman Tsarukyan and Dillon Danis book themselves a submission-only title fight

That next test came together almost instantly. Arman Tsarukyan and Dillon Danis, fresh off their performances at RAF07, left Tampa with more than just momentum—they also had a fight scheduled against each other. And this time, there will be no wrestling. Within hours of the event, confirmation arrived that the two would headline a submission-only title bout under the Hype FC banner in São Paulo.

It’s a very different setting, one in which the focus shifts from positional control to finishing instincts. Arman Tsarukyan, who has stayed active in grappling while awaiting a UFC title fight, sees this as another opportunity to show his versatility. For Danis, it’s a return to a discipline where he established himself long before the crossover spotlight found him.

The matchup adds an intriguing layer to Arman Tsarukyan’s current run outside of the UFC. While ‘Ahalkalakets’ continues to call out Colby Covington, he must first deal with DillonDanis, a specialist who thrives in submission-heavy scenarios and won’t back away from some serious trash talk. It is less about physical dominance and more about patience, control, and capitalizing on small openings.

And in a way, that’s what makes this fight just as important. Before settling scores or chasing bigger rivalries, the Armenian must pass a totally different kind of test—one that doesn’t come with crowd chaos or personal drama, but rather the calm pressure of establishing his worth at the top level of grappling.