On November 22, Arman Tsarukyan will make his most anticipated return to the Octagon after well over a year. ‘Ahalkalakets’ last competed at the historic UFC 300 on April 13, 2024, where he faced Charles Oliveira. Now, the Armenian standout is set to headline the UFC’s promotional debut in Qatar, taking on Dan Hooker in a Fight Night main event. Preparing for another significant occasion, Tsarukyan and his team have been sharpening every edge, and he has now explained why training in America gives him a slight edge. 

The No. 1-ranked lightweight can sometimes confuse fans with the details of his background. Tsarukyan’s family is originally from Armenia, but he was born in the Georgian city of Akhalkalaki. When he was only three years old, Arman’s family moved to Russia, where he would later begin his real career. Because of that, many assume he would naturally prefer to train in Russia. However, the lightweight contender has surprisingly revealed that he actually enjoys training in America more.

Arman Tsarukyan explains why training in America is better than the Russian mountains

Tsarukyan uploaded an interview to his YouTube channel. During the interview, he was asked about where he enjoys training. He admitted that he prefers to compete in the United States of America rather than in Russia, as he feels the food and environment are better there.

“I like to prepare in America more than in Russia. The food and the environment are much better. And it’s good that nobody is there to bother you.” When you are a popular personality like ‘Ahalkalakets’, especially back home, you prefer to train in a remote location where people may not recognize you. That is the same reason why he prefers training in the Russian Mountains rather than the city. Moreover, Tsarukyan also pointed to the infrastructure as another key reason he prefers training in the U.S.

The Armenian added on his YouTube video, “There are specific gyms there; there are professional gyms, which are still lacking in Russia.” And that’s a real concern. Throughout his UFC run, Tsarukyan initially trained at Tiger Muay Thai, then shifted to American Top Team just before his scheduled fight against Renato Moicano at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simón, which was later canceled.

Under head coach Mike Brown, he found a comfortable fit and chose to remain there. More recently, he also spent time training at JAXXON with Khamzat Chimaev. Clearly, Tsarukyan is willing to explore different gyms to refine his skill set. And ahead of his showdown with Dan Hooker, he’ll need a strong camp, especially with his former opponent expecting this matchup to get interesting.  

Beneil Dariush backs ‘Akhalkalakets’ but believes Dan Hooker will be an interesting challenge  

Arman Tsarukyan has been one of the most dominant forces in the lightweight division for quite some time. After losing to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022, the Armenian rebuilt himself into a four-fight winning streak, collecting a statement victory over former 155-lb king Charles Oliveira along the way. Now, as he prepares to face Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, Tsarukyan is receiving most of the betting attention thanks to his superior grappling. But Beneil Dariush believes this matchup could be more interesting than many expect.

“Benny” told MMA Junkie, “Yes, I do think he beats Dan Hooker, and I think he could do it very dominantly. But a five-round fight, I’ve got to tell you, man: Dan Hooker is a dog. He doesn’t have to win the first two rounds, but if he just does well in the first two rounds, that’ll be a really interesting fight. What I mean by well is keeping the fight close and making Arman work. The five rounds will be really interesting to watch, so I think that’ll be a really fun fight to watch.”

Dariush fought the now-No. 1 lightweight contender in a 2023 Fight Night main event but was brutally knocked out in the first round. Despite lasting only about a minute, ‘Benny’ remains one of the few who can provide insight into what Tsarukyan brings to the table. And he’s right to highlight that Hooker can flip the script against strong grapplers, as he did against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305.

So when UFC Fight Night touches down in Qatar, things could get very interesting. That said, do you think Arman Tsarukyan can maintain his status as the division’s top contender? Or is Hooker poised to pull off an upset? Let us know in the comment section below.