Arman Tsarukyan extended his recent winning streak in his return to competition tonight at ADXC in Russia, securing a submission victory over Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire.
The Armenian fighter has participated in two grappling bouts since his unexpected withdrawal from UFC 311 in January, where he was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev. While anticipating his next UFC assignment, he has been competing under the ADXC banner, notably overcoming a former Bellator champion in his recent match.
Tsarukyan is now looking forward to his return to mixed martial arts competition, which would be his first MMA fight since defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 more than a year prior. His potential championship opportunity against the victor of the UFC 317 main event remains uncertain, and he has also been engaged in a public dispute with fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett recently.
Tsarukyan Secures Submission Victory Over Patricky Pitbull in Grappling Event
Arman Tsarukyan needed a challenging five rounds to achieve the finish against Patricky Pitbull, a skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Pitbull, a former Bellator lightweight champion, is part of the well-known Pitbull Brothers duo who dominated the promotion before its acquisition by PFL.
In the fifth round, Tsarukyan managed to take his opponent`s back and successfully applied a rear-naked choke, securing the submission with only seconds remaining. Pitbull had offered strong resistance throughout the match, having previously stated that a victory in this context could potentially pave the way for a future UFC appearance.
This win marks Tsarukyan`s second consecutive victory since resuming competition, following a decision win against Makkasharip Zaynukov in Karate Combat earlier this month. He is now focused on an imminent return to the UFC, which he has publicly stated is close.
Paddy Pimblett Dismissed Tsarukyan Hours Before His Grappling Success
Leading up to the grappling event, Tsarukyan was involved in a public online spat with Paddy Pimblett concerning a potential future matchup between them. The British fighter asserted that he wasn`t interested in competing against Tsarukyan and would prefer to face Justin Gaethje instead.
This statement provoked a sharp response from the top lightweight contender, who commented: “It was obvious you were talking trash with zero intention of backing it up. Your UFC career is built on handouts, hype, and shortcuts to the top.”
Pimblett retaliated fiercely, addressing Tsarukyan: “Rich boy talking about handouts. You’ve been handed everything on a silver platter ur whole life by daddy u [clown].
He added: “Never said I wudnt fight you its just nobody cares about you after pulling out against Islam because of a ‘back injury’ we all know u was menstruating really u sausage.”
