The lightweight division is arguably UFC’s toughest battleground, stacked with exceptional competition, and Arman Tsarukyan has proven to be a force to be reckoned with at just 28 years old. The Armenian-Russian fighter has been in the UFC since 2019, and he almost had his chance to win the title from Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. Sadly, a last-minute injury spoiled all his plans.

However, that’s not what we’re talking about in this article. Rather, we are going to take a deep dive into another aspect of Arman Tsarukyan’s career – his nickname. So, without wasting much time, let’s see what the origin story of his moniker is.

Why is Arman Tsarukyan called ‘Ahalkalakets’?

While some fighters have monikers that are pretty easy to understand, that’s not the case with Arman Tsarukyan. The 28-year-old carries the moniker ‘Ahalkalakets’, which for many people appeared to be a little bit confusing. However, Tsarukyan’s nickname has a deep-rooted connection with the place where he was born.

As we all know, Arman Tsarukyan was born in Georgia in 1996. The name of the town he was born in is Akhalkalaki, which is very similar to his moniker. Well, Tsarukyan’s nickname ‘Ahalkalakets’ simply means someone who belongs to that Georgian town. Hence, it’s a rather simple nickname if we take a look at his origins.

But that’s not the only nickname that Arman Tsarukyan has. There’s another one as well. Let’s take a look at that front.

Arman Tsarukyan got a new nickname

Sometimes, fighters end up changing their nicknames or adopting new monikers. This is exactly what happened with Arman Tsarukyan. In 2020, just after a few fights in the UFC, the 28-year-old felt that he needed a new nickname. But instead of choosing a moniker for himself, Tsarukyan let the fans decide. In an Instagram post, the UFC lightweight star revealed his new nickname, which he chose out of all the options his fans provided him with. Tsarukyan adopted a new nickname – ‘Tough guy’.

Moreover, the Georgia-born fighter also revealed the prime reason behind this moniker. “Arman saw your suggestions and chose the nickname ‘Tough Guy’. Arman used to play hockey, so this nickname suits him perfectly,” his social media account revealed.

Well, there’s a lot of love from his fans back home, but Arman Tsarukyan would be devastated to have lost his chance at UFC gold. It remains to be seen how soon he comes back and if it’s he who gets a title fight immediately when he returns to action from his recent injury. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts on Tsarukyan’s two nicknames in the comments down below.